Holding On
by DianaLovett
Summary: Lost and alone in a new world, a young riolu extends her hand to a small, lonely fennekin desperate for a single friend. Kind, crimson eyes asked that she place her faith in her. The warm arms that wrapped around her small body asked that she place her faith in their shared strength. For the promise they made that day, Crystal will carry on just for her.
1. Chapter 1

All know the feeling of deafening submergence. We are conceived in it and we are born from it. And after we have lived out our lives, we return to it. We don't know when we are to depart from this state, or if we ever do. We only know of that floating sensation that lasts for seemingly eternity.

One such soul floated on this line between life and death, unbeknownst to her which side she would take. Her consciousness was barely there, barely feeling or noticing anything beyond the abyss of nothingness; questioning if she was even there at all. And then, a breakthrough, a decisive shift in the emptiness of the void that determined her destination.

A bright light filled her vision, overtaking the darkness accompanied by a voice, "Young soul still inexperienced and new, what unfortunate events that have brought you to this place." it echoed, its voice filling the empty space.

"What is this place?" the soul asked.

"A starting line and an end point. Although, for you, I would say the former best suits your current situation."

_My current situation_ she thought internally, her mind referring back to the voice's first words, "But wait, what did you mean by 'unfortunate events'? Are you saying that I died? Then… shouldn't this be the end?"

"In normal circumstances, but your circumstances aren't normal. You see, you are needed elsewhere, in a world far different than your own… and yet somewhat familiar."

"But why me? Why send me?"

"I cannot answer that, but, in due time, it'll all become clear to you."

The light began to fluctuate, flashing blindingly and dimming in intervals. "What's going on?" she questioned in an alarmed tone.

"It seems your time here is up. When you awaken, you'll find yourself in this world in a vessel that befits you. I wish you the best of luck on your quest."

The light became brighter, overwhelming brighter as it consumed her. "Wait! Don't just end it so vaguely! Say it so I understand! Hey!" her voice shouted without response as her consciousness vanished from the space.

~uwu~

Abruptly, her eyes opened to the sky, gasping as she awoke from what seemed like a dream. She found herself laying with her back against a forest floor with the sun shining down into her eyes. Uncomfortably so as they squinted at the bright light. _What am I doing sleeping in a place like this? _she questioned as she brought her hand up to shield her face. Or, at least, what was supposed to be her hand, but what she found instead was a golden paw blocking the sun from her face. It took her a moment to take notice of the appendage, turning it slowly and wiggling the little toes until she realized it was her doing making the paw move.

Her eyes widened as she shot up from her downed position. _N-No way_, she felt up and down her body, feeling the soft fur against her paw pads. She grabbed at the fluffy tail lying behind her and the ears that stood upright on her head. _Nonononono_ she screamed internally, beginning to run down the beaten forest trail, too focused on her own panic to realize she was running on four legs instead of two.

The trail led her to a flowing stream, where upon the water's surface she could see what she had become, "IT MADE ME A FENNEKIN?!" she screamed loudly as she stared down at the reflection with a terrified look in her eyes.

"Would you keep it down? Some of us are asleep at this hour." an owl, or noctowl in this case, called down to her from her tree hollow, looking bothered and a bit cranky.

"S-Sorry…" she called back instinctively, it only coming as a second thought that she was even speaking to a noctowl.

She took a second glance into the water, her expression deescalating from shock to distressed and disturbed. Her head tilted from one side to the next, her mind willing the muscles in her tall ear to flick downward to test the feeling. _No doubt, that's really me in there…_ her face drooped as she came to the conclusion, but the expression did not last as she came to a possibility she had overlooked. _No, wait. Maybe I'm still asleep. Right, that could be it. I'm just dream,_ she thought. However, at the same time, she wasn't one hundred percent certain, and, hence, left her current situation in an ambiguous state.

There was one way she could find out for certain: the flowing stream with its cool, refreshing water beckoned her to utilize it and test her theory. If this truly was a dream, then there would be no harm in placing her head under the water and breathing it like a fish. A simple solution for a complicated problem. Without a second thought, she pushed her head under the running current, remaining under for five seconds, then ten and thirty but not finding it any easier to breath. It was actually becoming difficult, maybe a little suffocating. It was a couple more seconds until she realized she couldn't breathe at all before bursting her head from the surface.

"Not a dream! It's not a dream!" she coughed, some of the water getting into her lungs at the end of it.

"So, I'm not dreaming… and I've really become a fennekin. I see what it meant by new but familiar now." she mumbled as she wandered through the forest, taking the time alone to think aloud to herself and get her bearings on her predicament. "But pokemon are only supposed to exist in video games, how can I just be put in their world? Don't tell me it made me the protagonist or something, I can't deal with that kind of pressure…" she breathed out a heavy sigh as her eyes watched the blades of grass passing by her, along with the little stubs that pressed against them, "Why me…?" she groaned.

In her own little pity party state, she had lost track of the world and her surroundings, hardly noticing the little gathering of zangooses up ahead or the zangoose that was crouched right in front of her path. Of course, she smacked herself right into his backside, calling her back to reality.

"Oh, sorry." she apologized as she moved around the zangoose to continue walking on.

The follow up action was left incomplete, however, as the zangoose's clawed hand found itself pressed firmly against her head, "Hey, squirt. You think you can just assault me and walk away like it was nothing?" he asked, turning her head to look at him.

_Assault?_ she questioned, "It was just an accident. I wasn't looking where I was going, and I apologized for it." she defended as her eyes looked away.

"Nah, man. I saw it with my own eyes, you came right at him trying to start something with us." one of his friends chimed in with his unwanted two-sense.

"Right? I oughta rip you to shreds for thinking you can come at me from behind like that. But lucky you, I'm feeling generous. I'll forget your little attack for, say, 500 coins." he smirked, his true intentions finally showing.

_Is this a shakedown?! _she began to tremble and shake, never having to deal with violent situations like these before, "I… I don't have anything on me though…" she tried moving away, but his hold on her was still strong.

"Oh? So you want to do this the hard way, then?" the zangoose asked as he began to reach his second hand over to her.

Her eyes widened as her body filled with an urge to protect herself and a fire that built up in her chest. "L-Let me go!" she called out as her body spat out little pieces of fire from her mouth into his face, making him coil back to put out the flames on his fur.

"Now you really done it, squirt…" his teeth clenched, his voice carrying so much resentment for the little fennekin that dared to fight back.

With an excessive amount of force, his hand pushed against the back of her neck, pushing her down into the grass. She let out a yelp before her eyes looked back at the zangoose looming over her helpless body.

"You wanted a fight, right? Let's fight." he spoke menacingly, his claws lighting up as he prepared to slash into her.

Her eyes closed tightly, bracing for the impact but finding that it never came. Above her, the zangoose was hit against his back, force palmed off her and sent tumbling into a nearby tree trunk with a hard thud. Her eyes opened slowly, finding a new figure in front of her, shielding her from the angry zangooses.

"Again with this? Haven't you jerks learned to pick on someone your own size?" a riolu spoke up to them, standing up for the frighten fennekin.

"You brat…" the tossed zangoose growled as his friends began to surround the two with claws and fangs bared, leaving him to cut off their exit, "You'll pay for that cheap shot." he readied his own claws as he began to close in.

"When I give the signal, run." the riolu whispered, bringing her to attention.

_What is she planning when we're outnumbered and surrounded?_ she questioned but did not reject her direction.

"Now! Sand Attack!" she shouted as she threw sand into the lead zangoose's eyes, leaving him momentarily blinded.

"Sonova-!" the zangoose exclaimed as he furiously rubbed his eyes.

Immediately, the two took off, running past the zangoose quickly.

"Don't just stand there! Get 'em!" the zangoose shouted, his eyes watering and red, still barely able to see out of them.

At his word, the zangoose began to chase after them, the sound of their feet behind luring the fennekin's head to look.

"Don't look back!" the riolu warned her before she could turn her head completely, keeping her attention on her savior.

The two weaved through the trees and thickets, their escape route almost maze like as they worked to lose the gang of zangoose.

"In here." she said with a more hushed tone, careful not to let her voice carry as the two ducked into a fragrant bush of small red fruit.

The zangooses were none the wiser, running right past them in their pursuit, leaving them officially lost.

"I think we'll be safe in here, but we should wait until the coast is clear." the riolu stated as her eyes looked towards the direction of their fading footsteps, "But man, you really had a close call there-" she stopped herself as she saw the tears welling up in the fennekin's eyes and falling down her face.

She began to panic slightly, her voice growing more frantic, "W-whoa, hey! What's wrong? Did they hurt you anywhere?" she asked, tilting her head down to look at her face.

Her lips pursed tightly, her head shaking a firm 'no'.

"Then why are you crying...?" the riolu asked, her tone growing more worried.

"That…that was really scary… I thought he was really going to rip me apart…" she cried, sobbing and sniffling as the tears ran down her cheeks.

She watched her cry silently before starting to rub her back, "Yea, I bet. But it's okay now, you're safe." she said in an effort to comfort her, but her words had little effect as she continued to hiccup and sniffle away. Her eyes looked around at the bush, finding a nice, plump cluster of fruit.

"What's that...?" the fennekin asked softly.

"Try it, it's very good." she offered with a smile. "Here, see?" she picked off one, popping it into her mouth before smiling with glee as her face filled with exaggerated delight. "It's really yummy, it'll surely turn that frown into a smile real fast." she explained, her hand now insisting that she try one.

The crying fox looked down at it, staring for a moment before taking a hesitant bite. With just a minimal amount of pressure from her tongue, the fruit burst with its juices, filling her mouth with its sweet nectar.

"See? It's good, right?" she asked, confident in knowing the other's answer before she could even say it.

"Really good!" she answered, her voice now cheery as she smiled from ear to ear while taking another bite.

"There's the smile." her hand pressed against her head, petting her gently between her large ears.

She looked towards the riolu, her cheeks gaining a pink shade as she realized just how embarrassing her face looked being so happy all over the taste of a good snack. She turned away slightly to hide the flustered expression.

The riolu couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, "So, what's your name?"

"My name?" she asked in affirmation, turning her gaze to her only slightly.

"Yea. Oh, I guess I should go first if I'm asking. My name is Emizella."

"Emizella? Then… my name is Crystal."

~uwu~

The two remained in a shared silence for a while after that, a bit of the tension relieved in the fact that they now knew each other's names. So, although they continued to consume the bush's fruit in silence, it was a comfortable silence, a soothing silence with only the crunch and squish of the juices and seeds filling the air.

Emizella was the first to break this silence, their bellies now full and hunger sated.

"They should have forgotten all about us by now. We ought to be getting home." she stated, raising up to her feet and stretching out her arms and legs. "Where do you live? I'll be your personal escort." her offer came with a soft pat at her chest in assurance.

Crystal's eyes looked up at her briefly before averting her gaze. How do you tell someone you just met you're homeless because you're not from this world? _Kinda like that, but less details_, she concluded with a soft sigh.

"I don't really… have a home. At least not yet." she spoke hesitantly, trying not to make herself out to be too much of a charity case. Then again, if she wasn't a classifiable charity case in this situation, what was?

Emizella looked confused for a moment, leaning closer so she could really hear her, "What do you mean by that? You mean you don't have a place to sleep?"

_Pretty much_, "I said 'not yet'. I'm sure I can manage something for tonight… Oh! I can sleep here." her body flopped to the ground, rolling into the dirt as she tried to find herself a comfortable sleeping position. But it was a bit difficult with the fallen twigs and rocks and the smell of the fermenting fruit that fell long before they had arrived.

Emizella couldn't take watching her obvious discomfort for much longer, "Nope, nuh-uh. After all that you really think I'd leave you to sleep here? This is clubhouse material _at best_, not house-house material."

"Then what would you suggest?" Crystal asked as she sat herself up.

"Just come to my place. Unlike here, it's actually prepared to be used to sleep in."

She didn't want to assume she could just ask to crash at her place. After rescuing her from a gang of zangoose, dealing with her crying and comforting her afterwards, it felt like she was imposing a lot from a riolu she met just a couple of hours ago.

Even if it was for only a few hours, Emizella felt like she could read her like a book. It was easy to tell what she was thinking and just as easy to tell what she needed to hear. "Look, I've already invested this much. If I just leave you now, knowing that you don't have a place to sleep, I'm going to be kicking myself all night. And then _I'm_ not going to be able to sleep." The bit of emphasis added was more for Crystal's emotional benefit than anything else.

The light smile that showed on her white muzzle told her that it worked.

"So, don't go worrying about your manners and pleasantries. Worry about yourself and rely on someone you can trust, like me." a wide smile spread across her face, dripping with friendliness and reliability. A paw extended towards her, a promise of support and dependability in the gesture.

A beat passed, contemplation passing in the fennekin's eyes. But she took her paw nonetheless, her own smaller, golden paw resting on the padding as Emizella pulled her gently into a standing position. With that returned paw, she agreed to place her trust in her, accept her support without complaint and worry about herself just a bit more.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, here we are." Emizella's voice cut through the thick leaves and vines that acted as a doorway into a small clearing, her small clearing. She made a gesture to allow Crystal inside first, holding the entryway open for her before following inside.

They had to travel off the beaten path of the forest to make it here, cutting through barbed bushes and briar patches. Her fur was covered in thorns and spiny balls that hung off the hairs. It was worth it to have someplace safe to retreat to, Emizella had told her while she led the way, skillfully ducking and dodging the branches. It seemed that she had committed this prickly path to her muscle memory as she hardly looked where she was going to make sure Crystal was still following behind.

But it was all worth it. The clearing itself was quite green and thorn free, the brightly colored grass feeling soft and soothing under her paws. The canopy above let the saturated orange of the sunset sprinkle in through the gaps in the leaves, leaving soft speckles of light littering the floor. There was a small opening put into that canopy, looking less natural and more like the whim of the resident. In the center of the clearing was a dug out pit and, judging by the old, burnt up wood and ashes, it was frequently used as a fireplace. And, near that, was a pile of large leaves and grasses, soft once but constant pressure and use made it look quite compacted; her bed, she assumed.

"It isn't much but make yourself at home. I'll get your bed together." she said, plucking the last of the thorns from her guest's body before walking over to the edge of her lair to collect her supplies.

Crystal's eyes continued to wander every corner and angle of this den, it was plenty spacious for her smaller body, but she wondered if she might be making the space a bit more cramped. She had to physically shake that thought away, _worry about myself_, she repeated the promise once before relaxing her body.

"How long have you lived here?" she asked, nothing better for breaking the ice than a bit of conversation.

"Um…" she thought about it for a moment, "'bout 4 or 5 months?"

"By yourself?" she was taken back by her answer, wasn't she supposed to be a kid or something?

"Nobody else around." she simply shrugged her shoulders as her arms pulled up a generous collection of vegetation.

Crystal's eyes followed Emizella as she transported the materials and set them down beside her own bed with a nice plop. She wanted to ask more, curious about her living situation and why she was out here by herself but feared that it might lead to too personal information. Personal information reserved for more intimate and well-known relationships.

Emizella's paws arranged the leaves over the grasses, trying to fluff it out and make it look nice. She gave her a brief glance before turning her eyes downward again, letting out a soft chuckle.

"You really don't need to hold back, you know." Emizella stated, a brow raised and knowing smirk on her lips.

Crystal's body stiffened, ears lowering in uncertainty, "I mean… we are still practically strangers, aren't we?" she asked.

She let out an exaggerated gasp, "After all I've done, you still call me a stranger? How cruel." A paw hung over her face, hiding away her tears, or rather, lack thereof.

"That wasn't what I-"

"I'm just messing with you." she chuckled, walking closer to Crystal before pressing a digit into her nose slightly, "You're making it far too easy…and way too fun."

Her white jaw hung for a moment before a pout pressed onto her lips, Emizella's teasing nature not going as appreciated with her victim.

"There we go, now why don't you get us a fire started. You can use Ember, right?" the riolu asked as she pulled away.

_So that's what that was,_ she gave a silent nod, her jaws relaxing once more.

"Great! I'll see about our food situation."

And with that, she turned away towards the opposite side of the clearing, leaving Crystal to deal with putting together their fire for the night. Her paws tread over to the small fire pit before looking over at the pile of accumulated wood gathered as fuel. She picked up one of the sticks before looking over at the burnt-up ashes from the assumed previous night. Quite honestly, she wasn't sure what she was doing. Was she supposed to clear out the ashes first? Was she supposed to just put the new wood on top? She wasn't even sure if she had ever been camping before now!

Her eyes looked back briefly at Emizella, seeing her chopping away on top of a stone slab before looking back at her own job. She already seemed so capable on her own, it compelled Crystal to wonder why she was living like this in the first place. Idly, she poked away at the charred pieces of wood, breaking and crumbling them down into a larger mess of ash within the stone circle.

_I could always just ask, right? I mean, if she really doesn't want to talk about it, she could always say no. But then, what if it makes things awkward?_She sighed to herself, _I can't make things awkward, she's the closest thing to a friend I have here._

"How's that fire coming along?" Emizella called out, pulling Crystal out of her thoughts abruptly.

"It's coming!" she called back hurriedly as she piled the wood into the circle. Screw not knowing what she was doing, she needed to get something burning and a flame going.

A few minor adjustments to keep the sticks within the stones and she had a base of fuel going for her. Now all she needed was a spark, or her Ember as Emizella referred to it. So, new question, how does she even use Ember? How _did_ she use Ember before? She wracked her brain as she tried to remember the first time she spat speckles of fire from her mouth, taking a second to appreciate that she never thought she would ever have to recall ever doing something like that and not be on hallucinogens.

_Focus,_ she willed her mental train to redirect itself on a more important track, _okay, I was scared, cornered and desperate… and then, there was a burning feeling in my chest that I had to let out and there it was. Burning feeling, burning, _she concentrated on the feeling, trying to replicate the sensation in her chest. She took in a breath, holding it as she fixated on the memory of heat filling her body. When she felt she had it, she forced it out, admittedly somewhat reminiscent of letting out a belch.

Her eyes were closed, so she was not for certain she had achieved it. She would have checked for it herself first, but a firm pat on the back beat her to the punch.

"Nice going." Emizella's voice accompanied the swift smack, "Leave it to a fire type to know how to make a good fire. Couldn't have done it better myself."

Crystal's eyes peered open to look as the blazing flame, already licking towards the sky as the breeze pushed it into a swaying dance. She may not have been accustomed to being a fire pokemon yet, but it felt good to be praised for her first conscious attempt. But then it hit her, "Are you just saying that to stroke my ego?"

"Depends, did it work?" she responded with a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

Her sunset orange eyes avoided the riolu's cocky gaze, knowing that, if she'd look, she'd see a pair of wiggling brows to go with that smug expression in her eyes. "… maybe…" she relented in a soft murmur.

The other chuckled softly, kneeling in front of the fire to start cooking their meal. "Seriously, you have to stop. Otherwise, I'll have to keep you."

"Keep?" the fennekin's head tilted in a perplexed expression.

"Ah, just a joke. Don't think about it too deeply." she looked back from her work, a bit of a blush on her face as she realized the implications of the words she strung together in that particular order. She cleared her throat as well as the flustered hint on her cheeks, "Anyways, dinner will be ready in just a sec, so sit tight."

Crystal's eyes watched her silently, not missing a beat as she stared at each shift in her expression. She may have liked to tease the little fox about her "funny" reactions, but she couldn't help but think she had a bit of a cute flustered look herself. _At least things are a bit more equal in that regard_, she couldn't help but think with the slightest hint of a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

~uwu~

"So then, about our food situation," the two had settled down after the meal, the fire put out and the stars slowly littering the darkening sky one by one, "…we might have to stop into town to get some supplies for two. Not really prepped for another mouth, you know."

Crystal turned slightly on her side, laying on the leafy nest her host had so graciously thrown together for her. "Sorry about that."

Emizella let out a soft chuckle, "Don't be. I'm the one that invited you to stay. Besides, if you're going to live in this forest, you ought to see the village."

"There's a village out here?"

"A small one, but yeah. It's nothing glamorous like the capital or remarkable like the city, but the pokemon there are nice folk. Plus, it has this ancient monument and-" she cut herself off as she noticed herself starting to ramble off, "Actually, might be better for you to see it for yourself." she concluded with an excited smile on her face.

Crystal's eyes stared back at the grin, returning the friendly gesture with a soft nod of her head. She watched as the other's crimson eyes turn back to the sky, watching careful to see each dim light finding the courage to shine brightly with its brethren. She turned her own eyes to watch with her, staring past the gaping hole in the canopy. She wondered what the riolu was thinking when she stared up at the stars, wondered what thoughts crossed her mind when she was alone and what thoughts were crossing it now. She figured it was alright not to know what those inspirations were, but there was still the lingering question made heavier with the new revelation of knowledge.

"Why are you out here by yourself?" her voice was soft as she tentatively broke through the silent.

"Why?" Emizella's eyes didn't move from their place, letting out a soft hum as she put together the words in her head, "Ever heard of Adventurers?"

"Adventurers?" she could easily distinguish what they were based on the title but wondered if it was as simple as the name implied.

"You seriously haven't?" her tone gave away her ignorance way too easily, calling for Emizella to shoot up from her position abruptly with the grasses and leaves of her nest clinging to her grey and cerulean fur. Her eyes stared closely into Crystal's, inching into her face as she searched for a mirthful cue in her gaze. She found none, "Really…? Just what were you doing before running into that zangoose gang?"

All she could do was laugh nervously in response.

"Adventurers are like… the most sought-after profession. They're like the everyday hero. They perform rescue mission, escorts and explorative expeditions in unmarked territories." Her eyes watched the other's face, looking for some shred of recognition, or, if not recognition, then amazed excitement at the prospect of the career. Unfortunately, she found neither. She only found the continuing state of perplexed confusion still lingering on her face. "L-Look, it's, like, really hard to give it justice with words. It'll be easier to just show you." she decided in an affirmative tone as she threw herself back onto the green bed with a soft, cushioned thud.

Crystal's eyes stared at her silently, _is she going to bed already?_ But she did seem like the kind to believe in the whole "early to bed, early to rise" and the entirety of the morning person philosophy. She laid herself down, finding a comfortable position amongst the leaves. It would be better to just fall asleep just like the only other pokemon here. But her mind still felt so full, a predominate thought constantly blared loudly in her head: _Why am I here?_

As she closed her eyes, forcing them to remain closed as she waited for sleep to take over, she hoped for a second chance at the one responsible for her predicament. She hoped to be back in the timeless space, floating in that blank nothingness, and give that know-it-all voice a piece of her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

She had gotten her wish.

Late into the night, past the point of feigned slumber and far within the state of deep sleep, Crystal found herself surrounded by that familiar light. Floating in the empty abyss, her gaze wandered around her surroundings. Perhaps she might see something this time if she were to pay attention. After all, this time she wasn't being sucker punched into a new reality. But, even now, she still saw nothing, no matter which direction she faced the unending horizon.

She felt a frustrated sigh leave her lips, despite the lack of physical lungs to produce the breath or the lips to release it. However, this was still her chance to clear things up a bit.

"I know you're out there! Are you getting a bit shy now that I'm not caught up in a stunned stupor?" she called out into the blank space, her intangible form spinning to catch the direction of its response.

"Such insolence!" There wasn't much of a direction to it. It was more like the voice and the surrounding area were one and the same, shaking Crystal at her core. "I sensed you calling out for us and yet I'm greeted with rude impatience… Of course they had to pick a mortal lacking in any manners…"

For a form without any facial muscles, she still felt her brows furrowing in an incredulous look, "Excuse you? I wasn't the one who asked for this?!"

"Yes, yes, you're incredibly ungrateful for this blessed second chance. However-"

"Hold on… your voice sounds different. Where's the first guy?"

"Guy…? Oh, don't be fooled. They have much more important things to be doing than answering such trivial calls. I doubt you'll speak again unless the situation is dire."

_So, there's more than one person here,_ she hid her thoughts away from the mysterious being, still unsure if she could even trust them. However, from the patronizing tone this one used, she was definitely sure they rubbed her the wrong way.

"Now then, as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted, time moves at a different pace here. So, despite what you believe, we haven't much time for 'pleasantries.' Speak quickly: what do you want?"

She felt the need to bite down onto her lips to at least try to hide a snarl. But, even if she did make a threatening gesture, would the voice even be able to perceive it? Part of her hoped that it could.

"What I _want_ are answers. What is the point of all this? Why was I put there? And what are you hiding from me?" That time, she couldn't hide the growl that crept into her voice.

"Is that really all you wanted to ask? How bothersome, and such a waste of time. I'm certain you've already been told this but it isn't time for such revelations. You'll find the answers… eventually. But, for now, just focus on acclimating into that world."

It was needless to say that Crystal was quite disgruntled by the unhelpful response, but there was little she could do to force the answers out of them.

"Fine then, but could you at least give me some basic knowledge of this place? I'm going to come across as a daft hermit going around not knowing what basically everyone else does!" she called out indignantly as she recalled her earlier embarrassing incident with Emizella just before bed.

"The basics… All right, that I can do for you." the voice responded. The glow of the temporary plane brightened for a moment before dying back to its usual state. "There, it is done."

She was silent for a moment, rummaging about in her mind, "I don't feel any different."

"The knowledge will be there once you wake up on that side. And, speaking of which, it seems that our time together has run out." The lights began to flicker again, reminiscent of the instance just before she woke up in the forest. "Try to refrain from coming back here unless you have a real emergency, okay?"

_Yeah, yeah, fuck you too,_ the voice most certainly, most definitely, rubbed her the wrong way.

~uwu~

To say Crystal had woken up on the wrong side of the bed would be the understatement of the century. The first voice may have been annoyingly cryptic, but at least it wasn't a patronizing, belittling jerk-wad. Actually, she was starting to think the first one might not have been all that bad to begin with. Sure, nothing they said made any sense at all, but it was, at the very least, a hint more sympathetic with her plight.

While she was awake, she hadn't yet opened her eyes, choosing to wallow in a state of relaxed rest for just a little longer. So, despite her closed eyes, she was still aware of her surroundings. She was aware of the soft grasses that cushioned her sleep. She was aware of the growing gentle chirps and melodies starting to fill the air. She was aware of the softly snoring breath tickling her ears. Actually, she might had been more acutely aware of a firm hold wrapped around her body above all else.

Sensing that some of those things weren't quite as ordinary as the others, her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the early morning hues and steadily accumulating brightness. And what was the first thing she saw that morning? A masked bed intruder sleeping soundly right next to her, looking peacefully unaware of the predicament she had placed her guest.

Immediately, Crystal's lips pursed together, holding back a startled screech and letting it unleash in the confines of her mind.

_Since when- How long has she been here?_ How could she have possibly guessed that her hostess was one to slip into her guest's nest or that she was one to snuggle and hug warm bodies in her sleep? What kind of mental preparation could there even be for something like this? Should she try to escape before she woke up? Her body did a little wiggle, testing the grip Emizella had on her small frame. Not only was there very little wiggle room, but she also managed to make that range even tighter with her moving around, a soft squeak escaping her from the squeeze.

_Great, leave it to a fighting type like her to have a grip of steel. _A defeated sigh left her lips as she relaxed in the hold, and, in turn, the hold relaxed on her. She figured she had woken up to worst things before, although she didn't have any memories to back it up. However, the arms that wrapped around her were warm and comforting and, dare she admit, nice. Surely something like this was a good deal of a distance away from the worst.

With the grip around her so firm and unyielding, the smaller, more delicately framed fennekin had little other option than to wait for the other to release her on her own accord. And, judging by how desperately her arms clung to her, Crystal doubted she'd do so before waking up.

_She'll wake up by herself soon enough. She seems like an early riser._ She trusted her assumption as she closed her eyes to better focus on her own thoughts, more specifically on her situation. Focusing on what she knew and did not know.

She didn't know who she was before the first voice spoke to her, an already strongly established fact. A fact that she still couldn't get over no matter how many times she repeated it in her mind. What was she supposed to say if anyone asked about where she came from? _I can't remember my past before I met Emizella,_ but that sounded way too convenient and suspicious. Everyone knew even the most basic crook wasn't above playing the amnesia card. _It's none of your business where I came from,_ but that sounded even worse than the first option! _Maybe I'll just luck out and no one will ask. _A long shot idea, but, if she could be so fortunate, then it was the best she had.

Before she could delve any deeper, she felt a shift from her hostess's arms, the body snuggling close to her stirring to life. Despite the change, Crystal elected to keep her eyes closed. She didn't want Emizella thinking she had been watching her sleep this whole time, that would just be weird followed by some awkward explaining.

"GAH!" she heard a surprised yelp followed by the abrupt removal of the two coiled limbs.

That was when she decided to open her eyes, pretending that she had just woken up and feigning ignorance.

"Emizella…? You alright?" she asked, eyes fluttering and adding a bit of a forced yawn for good measure. She hoped it didn't sound too forced.

The pair of now fully awake crimson eyes blinked as Emizella processed her escape route from the embarrassing situation, "N-nothing," her voice squeaked before she cleared her throat.

There was a war going on in the facial muscles of Crystal's mouth, a hard-fought battle against the snicker daring to break through her walls of restraint and the laws of courtesy. Luckily for her, she won this battle, but felt the war was far from over.

"Anyway…" the riolu rubbed away her nerves, flattening the hairs that stood at the back of her neck, "So, for breakfast, I was thinking we could go to the café in the village. You know, let you get used to the place first."

"There's a café?" her body lifted up quickly at the idea.

"Well, a small one," Emizella was quick to define the business before she got her guest's hopes too worked up, "But their pancakes are delicious! Like, Mrs. B must had gone on some kinda pilgrimage to make pancakes that good. Oh, Mrs. Brooklyn is the owner. She runs the café with her family so it's got a bit of a homey vibe."

"I like pancakes." she responded with a bit of a chuckle, "And… 'homey' cafés."

"Great! Let's get going before the breakfast rush gets in!" she insisted upon their swift departure, walking closer to the entryway of the hide out to hold the vines open for the little fox.

And, with a quick, affirmative nod of her head, Crystal followed closely behind.

~uwu~

The village was not as far of a walk from Emizella's hideaway as Crystal expected. She would have thought there'd be a bit of a hike and a half to reach this aforementioned village hidden away in the trees of this forest, but it wasn't even half a hike.

"See that archway? The village is just beyond that." her guide pointed a digit at the constructed arch that provided a window into the clearing the settlement rested.

_That wasn't even ten minutes!_ "Emizella… are you originally from there?"

Her head tilted back, "Yeah, why?" she asked with such innocent ignorance, as if Crystal was the odd one for asking such an obvious question.

Her mouth opened to retort, but then it occurred to her that they never did finish their conversation from last night. They had gotten too caught on what an adventurer was after Crystal let her unfamiliarity towards the occupation slip. To which, she was now well aware of the venturous and varying profession, but it wasn't so simple to say she remembered it now after last night. Or, perhaps, it was and she was simply overthinking it. Regardless of whatever option it fell under, Crystal figured it best to continue playing dumb on the subject matter.

"No reason, just… thought I'd ask." her shoulders shrugged slightly, playing the question off as casual and insignificant. Either she'd tell her without prompting or there would be a better time to ask later.

They were starting to close in on the gateway to the small village, just a few more steps and she'd be crossing under the carved, arching wood. Her eyes looked upward to the top, spotting carved diamonds along branching paths that spread from the center. These diamonds, contrary to the plain, wood color of their background, were painted in brilliant colors of gold and crimson and cerulean and mint. The colors were bright and fresh, appearing to receive constant maintenance to keep it looking nice.

"Halt!"

The sudden voice came in too sudden for Crystal and her distracted state of mind as she instantly bumped into Emizella's backside. Although, it felt more like a wall as the riolu still stood perfectly still and steady. She would have assumed the other felt nothing if not for the brief glance she sent over her shoulder.

"State your business," the voice commanded, a quick peak past the blue body in front of her confirmed the voice to belong to a torracat.

"Are we seriously doing this again?" Emizella asked with a raised brow.

"I wasn't talking to you, this time… I was talking to her." A clawed paw pointed towards Crystal, still hiding behind her guide.

"Who, me?" her long ears became more erect along with her tensing body.

"Yeah you. I don't think I've seen you around before. Which is a problem 'cuz I pretty much know every face that passes through here. And an even bigger problem if you're a troublemaker." The feline closed in on her, pushing her face uncomfortably close with a scowl glued to her brows. "So, state your business."

Before Crystal could even find the words to respond, an interceding paw broke the overbearing eye contact from connecting any longer. "Calm down, Jesse, she's with me. We're just here for supplies and pancakes."

"A likely story," her golden eyes narrowed, filled with skepticism and doubt.

"Which part, the one about the supplies or pancakes?" Emizella's brow raised with a paw pressed sturdily to her hips.

"How about both!" The blazing bell around the torracat's neck lit up brightly. Her gaze turned towards Crystal, startling the little fox as she was abruptly brought back into the conversation, "I'm keeping my eyes on you. You may have Emi fooled with your adorable baby face but you can't fool me."

_Wait, did she just call me adorable? _Instantly, the tension in her shoulders faded away, relaxing and letting her body raise up a little. She couldn't help but stare into the torracat's eyes, waiting to see if she'd take notice by herself the implications of her own words. That, and she wanted to get back at her for her play at intimidation.

"Wha-what? What're you staring at, huh?" she took a step away from the unblinking, anticipating gaze.

It appeared that she didn't realize what she had said but Emizella did and it had her snickering at her feline friend's increasingly confused expression.

"So you got it." she asked as her body turned to look at Crystal, "Jesse may act tough but that's just a show for newcomers. Everyone knows she's just a softie."

An incredulous look slowly grew and rose in intensity in the feline's gold and crimson eyes, "D-Don't go telling her that! How's she gunna take me seriously if you call me a softie in front of her?" she asked, her voice distraught and troubled.

Her dismay was of little concern to Emizella as she continued to chuckle to herself, "Alright, introductions." Her laughter finally calmed down as she gestured towards the black and red fire cat pokemon, "This is Jezebel, the gate guard. She may be dense sometimes and a softie most of the time, but she's actually pretty capable."

"I am _not_ a softie!" Jezebel flared up, the bell around her neck growing bigger and glowing hotter.

"Jesse!"

But then, a sudden call quickly extinguished the flames, her demeanor become docile and tame as she turned her head back towards the calling voice.

"Yes, Lillian?" she responded cheerfully.

For a moment, Crystal wasn't sure if this was the same torracat who was interrogating and trying to scare her just a moment ago. The shift was too sudden, too abnormally sudden, to be anywhere close to a natural response. But here she was, smiling with a gentle disposition at the brionne dragging herself along the ground with a parcel wrapped securely around her neck.

"You forgot your lunch again." Lillian stated as she untied the knot holding the violet, star speckled wrapping in place. A flipper stretched over to pass along the pouch, "How many times does that make this week?"

"Um…" Jezebel thought for a second as she reached to grab for it, "Three…?"

"And it's only Wednesday!" her voice raised in a stern tone, making the other flinch. She sighed, releasing the meal to her stilled paw, "Honestly… you ought to be more observant, you know?"

"I am observant! Just not with the little things…" she muttered, her eyes sheepishly avoiding the firm, scolding gaze. "Look, I might be slipping a bit, but that's just cuz nothing really goes on around here. And you're _so_ dependable, I can't help but rely on you to pick up my slack." Her eyes peered back at the brionne, begging and pleading for her annoyance to subside.

And, for a moment, it worked. The reprimanding stare faltered, nearly giving into those gentle, golden orbs, before closing her eyes in a reaffirming huff. "That's not going to work this time." she crossed her flippers over her chest, although her tone's intent sounded more for convincing herself than the feline.

"C'mon, not even a little bit?" Jezebel implored, inching in a bit closer to amplify the effect of her "forgive me" face.

A brief, subtle peak crossed Lillian's blue eyes before finally taking notice of the pair whose visit was being held up by their bickering. Her body shifted to the side, getting a better look at the familiar face, "Emi! How long have you been there?"

"Um… the whole time…?" Emizella answered, brow raised and a soft chuckle on her lips.

"Really?" she gave a light gasp, "I wasn't expecting you for a while longer."

"Yeah, well, there's been a bit of a change in circumstances." She gave a short shrug of her shoulders, her words drawing the brionne's attention to the golden figure standing behind her as silent as her shadow.

"Oh. My. Goodness! You're so cute!"

Instantly, Crystal found herself enveloped within the confines of her flippers, being hugged and squeezed without any reservation. The sudden act had her froze in place, the only movement coming from her eyes that darted over towards Emizella for some kind of explanation. Unfortunately, her lifeline offered no excuse, only shaking her head in nonverbal communication.

Lillian babbled away into Crystal's ears, admiring her fluffy tufts and her small head and her full tail. At one point, she could have sworn she called her a "floof baby", which she couldn't even get mad at as the word tickled her insides and erupted a giggle.

But then, the babbling abruptly stopped, her eyes staring back at Jezebel with a sharp turn of her head, "Jesse, you weren't bullying her before I came, were you?" she asked, her stare so mercilessly intense that it broke the accused into a cold sweat.

"What? Me? No way, I would never!" she stated but the look in her eyes didn't relent. "Really and truly! I mean, what kind of guard would I be if I did?" she forced out a laugh that sounded a bit too nervous to be carefree.

Lillian's dagger of a gaze stared for a while longer before her smile returned to her face, "What a relief!" her cheerful tone lightened the atmosphere, allowing Jezebel to take a breath at last.

"Whipped…" Emizella whispered softly, her voice bordering on the line between mouthing and speaking.

Jezebel let out a soft grunt in response but dared not say anything less she drew attention back to herself. And not the fun kind, either.

"Anyway, you're new, right? Let me show you around!" the aquatic pokemon insisted, her tone already telling that she refused to take "no" for an answer.

"I mean," Crystal's voice spoke up, sounding soft pressed against Lillian's cool body, "Emizella was taking me for pancakes first…"

"At Mrs. B's?" she asked, confirming the information with a quick glance at the riolu, "Then I'll go with you!" She gave one last quick squeeze before scooting along past the village opening.

Crystal watched her for a moment. She seemed rather imposing, a sense of assertive boldness that could not, and would not, be denied. But she wasn't a bad pokemon. A bit overly familiar with new people, but not bad. She gave Emizella a quick look, affirming that the decision was hers to make before sending her own smile Lillian's way. "If it's not too much trouble..."

She clapped her flippers together joyously, "Great! You won't regret this. When it comes to this village, I'm the go to person for tours."

Crystal could only nod her head in agreement, not having any reference to go by to either contradict or confirm the declaration. She followed behind Emizella, walking under the archway and past Jezebel who gave a scripted sendoff to the pair as they made their way.

Her eyes looked back at the torracat for a second after passing, catching her flicking her claws from her narrowed gaze to Crystal's figure. A shiver went down the fennekin's spine at the gesture before rolling her eyes upward. Already she had met a pair that completely wore her out, and she was only a few steps past the gate.

* * *

Welcome to part three of building up the world and the characters in it! Seriously, thank you all so much for the follows and favs. I'm so happy that your interested in seeing where this is going... but also a little scared that where it's going will let down your expectation. BUT! Let's push those demons to the wayside for now.

Between life and drawing the characters, it took a bit longer it finish the chapter and man was it longer than I usually write. I was wondering it there was a place to cut it shorter but it just didn't feel right to me. I don't know, I'm still pretty new to giving my stories physical form outside of my head.

Please feel free to comment what you think, even if it's to tell me my grammar sucks! (Seriously, went to school to be a language arts teacher and I still am not a hundred percent confident that I'm catching my mistakes) Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

"That's awful!" a voice exclaimed inside the café, drawing the patrons' eyes towards the table. Despite the obvious attention she was getting, the brionne paid it no mind as she shook her head in disappointment, "Really… such brutes, how could they think to hurt such a cute floof baby…"

_So she really did call me a floof baby,_ Crystal thought, feeling the pressure of the curious gazes before forcing out a chuckle, "Yeah, but that's when Emizella showed up. She got me out of there really quick. She even cheered me up afterwards."

"Well, what a relief that must have been." Lillian's smile returned to her face as she turned the beaming expression towards the riolu in question, "Just getting closer and closer to being a legit adventurer, aren't you?"

Emizella blinked in response, still preoccupied with finishing off her orange drink. Her lips released the straw, freeing her up to speak, "It was nothing really, those jerks were a bunch of small fry bullies. Those types are pretty easy to outsmart." She shrugged her shouldered, playing herself off like she had done it hundreds of times before, and she very well might have but that didn't change the amount of impact her actions had.

"Still though…" Crystal's gaze turned downwards towards her glass of moomoo milkshake, the nearly emptied contents leaving the sides sticky with pink residue, "When you're new to the neighborhood, something like that is still terrifying, so it really means a lot that you were come rushing in without a second thought." Her smile finally returned to her face, less anxious and much more relaxed as she looked up at Emizella with eyes filled to the brim with gratitude.

Crimson eyes stared at her for a moment, her brain shutting down and needing to reboot as she turned away to suck away at the already empty glass, "I already told you… I'm going to be an adventurer so it's no big deal."

Lillian watched the two silently from across the table, giggling to herself at the power of a "floof baby." "Careful with that smile, Crystal. No telling what such adorableness can do." she warned in a playful tone.

"It's not really that special, is it?" Crystal pouted a little, feeling herself the target of too much attention drawn into her face. Sure, fennekins were cute but there were plenty of other pokemon just as cute, if not cuter, than her. Take Lillian, for example, she was plenty adorable enough on her own. Maybe it was just her thing, maybe she just liked furry pokemon.

"Aw, there's no need to pout about it. You ought to own it, show it off a little." the brionne continued to tease her, finding her pout just as irresistible as her smile.

"I'd rather not…" Crystal muttered before feeling a gentle nudge poking at her shoulder.

Emizella leaned in closer, her muzzle brushing against her ear tufts and sending a tickling sensation through her head. "You can tell her if she's going overboard." her whispering didn't help the tickling to go away, "She tends to forget herself with new people so it's not like she'll be offended or anything."

Her warm, orange eyes turned to look towards the riolu, meeting her scarlet gaze before giving a soft, reassured nod, a soft giggle escaping her at the suggestion.

_I see, so she's just a bit of a spaz…_ she thought, the self-conscious feeling evaporating from her mind.

Emizella chuckled along with her, the two's attention focused in on their own little bubble and the pout previously housed on Crystal's lips was transferred over to Lillian's.

"Hey! What are you two giggling about over there?" she exclaimed, blue cheeks puffing out at their implication. "Emi, what rumors are you spreading?"

"Nothing!" Emizella laughed at Lillian's reaction, "Why? What rumors do you have?"

The brionne's jaw dropped, a rosy hue filling her cheeks before huffing, her lips slamming shut at the action. "Of course not! I'm too pure to have rumors souring my reputation." she declared with a smug smile.

"Yeah," Emizella drawled, "keep telling yourself that."

Another chuckle found its way out of Crystal's lips, despite her efforts in keeping it sealed behind a golden paw. Emizella's eyes flashed over to her captive audience, eating up her positive reception as the smirk spread across her lips.

"Crystal, you think I'm pure, don't you?" Lillian asked, her aquamarine eyes pleading with the fox to take her side and reject the blasphemy being spouted from Emizella's lips.

She blinked a few times as her attention was called, looking into her shimmering, blue oceanic eyes before smiling at her, "I wouldn't know. We just met, right?" she answered, thinking it safe enough, but, apparently, not quite as those ocean blues shattered and faded at the deadly blow to her ego.

"Um… Lillian?" Crystal called out to the statuesque brionne, too far gone in her own head to respond.

"C'mon, Crystal, we still have some shopping to do first." Emizella snickered, scooting out of her seat fist before beckoning her foxy companion to follow.

Crystal gave the brionne a brief look before following after, hopping down from her spot and trotting over to the riolu's side.

"Isn't Lillian supposed to be coming with us?" she asked in a soft whisper.

"Oh, don't worry about her, she just-"

"Wait!" the subject of their conversation interjected, sliding herself back in with a renewed fire in her eyes.

Crystal jumped slightly, feeling her fur prickling up on her tail and the hackles that crawled down her backside. "Y-yes?" she swallowed down the squeaker that popped into her throat.

The brionne chuckled softly, "Sorry, I think I've been going about this all wrong…" she said, a dark look covering her rose eyes.

"Huh..?" Crystal tilted her head, feeling unsure what Lillian was talking about or where this even came from.

Her chuckling became more like a snicker, plotting and scheming in her mind, "It's been a while since I had to win someone over… This is perfect…" she muttered, growing increasingly more excited as she spoke.

"Um… Lilli-"

"Crystal!" the brionne called out her name loudly, pressing her flippers into Crystal's shoulders as she held her gaze. "I promise you this… by the end of the day, you and I will be… Besties!"

The usual twinkle in her eyes returned to their full glimmer, the shift giving the fennekin a bit of emotional whiplash at the sudden shift in tone. She didn't quite understand what she needed to get so intense about it for, maybe making friends was just a big deal for her. _Or maybe that's just the spaz acting out_, she considered the possibility, feeling it become more and more likely with each repeat of the thought.

"I thought Jesse was your 'bestie!'" Emizella called with a smirk imprinted on her lips, the implication of the word coming out completely different when the riolu used it.

Lillian's lips pursed together and her brows furrowed as a flushed look covered her face completely. "Nobody asked you, Emi!" a flipper pointed accusingly towards the culprit of her flustered expression, making a brow rise on her masked face. "What do you say, ignoring that one other there? Think you could give me a shot?" A friendly smile found its home on Lilian's lips, welcoming and gracious in her invitation for a chance to bond with the new companion.

It honestly didn't seem like too terrible of an idea. Beyond her overbearing nature and her… fascination with the fennekin's furry body, she didn't get any sort of ominous feeling that she ever meant her any harm. Despite all her little quirks and mannerisms, she couldn't really see Lillian as a bad pokemon. A little overzealous in showing her affection, sure, but not bad. And isn't that how most friendships start? Learning more about each other's social limits and boundaries and growing to accommodate them so they could both enjoy the other's company? It was just the start, after all, and there was plenty to learn about one another.

"Okay, although… you didn't really need to ask. I would have been happy to get to know you whether you asked or not." the smile on her lips beamed brightly from her face, blinding anyone within direct contact if the weren't prepared to receive the sacred treasure.

Lillian, unfortunately, was unprepared, a flipper shielding her eyes from the devastating effects. "So strong… Must… resist…" she muttered too softly for Crystal to hear, doubling into a head tilt combo. Both of the brionne's aqua flippers went to cover her face, her head shaking in refusal to let down her guard.

Emizella rolled her eyes with an amused look on her face as she watched the two. "Hey Lily, quit messing around and get over here!" she called out to her, pulling her attention away from the object of her struggles and onto paying her tab.

"Coming!" the brionne called back before giving her own award-winning smile to the fennekin, "Why don't you wait for us by the door? We'll be just a second." she pointed a flipper towards the exit.

Crystal followed the indicating point before looking up at Lillian and nodding her head.

Her paws trekked over to the door, carrying her to just outside the establishment before taking a seat beside the door. She really didn't have much to look at. It was either the rocks and the pebbles spread around the beaten trail or the pokemon going to and from the different buildings. Honestly, the latter was more interesting to look at. At least they were moving.

Everyone looked so friendly with their smiling faces and their happy greetings. It felt like the kind of place where everybody knew everyone and a silent agreement of trust circulated the air. It was nice, quaint, also a little intimidating. Crystal couldn't help feeling weird about being in a place like this, a case of "new kid on the block" syndrome.

The curious stares from some of the younger pokemon made her feel queasy inside, not knowing how to respond to such direct and unabated eye contact. She tried to smile at a poochyena pup but he didn't seem too receptive at the gesture. He just stared for a moment longer before trotting up to a mightyena's side—his parent, Crystal assumed.

She let a heavy sigh leave her chest as she redirected her gaze to the rocks below. _At least rocks don't stare back at you…wait._

"We're done!" Lillian's voice called, the fennekin's head darting over to the two as they exited the café together. "So!" she breathed out excitedly, "Since you two were first planning on going shopping, we'll hit up the general store together and the tour will pick up from there."

"I'll actually be taking the stuff back afterwards so you two can enjoy yourselves," Emizella added with a nod of approval. Crystal's ears drooped slightly but she hadn't noticed how her body gave away her underlying feelings "Unless you want me to stick around…" she offered with a concerned smile.

Crystal thought about it for a moment but didn't need to think about it too long. After all, she already decided that she ought to branch away from Emizella and find a friendly relationship with new pokemon.

She gave a short shake of her head, "No, that's fine. You can take the things back first, I'll be okay."

"You sure? It's no problem if I tag along." Emizella raised a brow, giving Crystal the chance to reconsider.

"Hey, Emi! What are you acting all protective for? You act like I'm going to gobble her up!" Lillian pouted.

"Knowing you, that's a possibility." Emizella chuckled as she responded to the brionne.

Lillian gasped before huffing with a sharp turn of her head. "It's okay," Crystal's voice drew Lillian back into the conversation, "I'll be fine, really." she insisted, putting a smile back on the seal's face.

"You're so sweet!" Lillian squealed, her lips pursing as she fought to contain herself—or to not self-destruct. Crystal was pretty sure it could happen either way. "Why couldn't I have lucked out and found you first instead?"

"Yeah, too bad she's already was found by such an awesome roommate." Emizella grinned, a digit gesturing towards herself as the smug attitude began filling every inch of her short stature.

Lillian chuckled and Crystal couldn't help but share in the humorous statement. "Lucky me." the small fox giggled, hiding the smile behind her paw.

"Yeah, yeah, you braggart," the brionne waved the riolu off before stating to scoot herself through the dirt path, heading the pack. "C'mon, let's hit up the store already!" She didn't wait for their acknowledgment, she just scooted on away—scooting and hopping to get to the general store as quickly as possible.

"You're really okay with this?" Emizella whispered, leaning in a bit closer to Crystal, "I know you're a bit of the shy side, I don't want you feeling uncomfortable on your first day."

Crystal could appreciate it, Emizella's consideration for her comfort zone, but she knew that it was better to get used to things sooner rather than later. There was no telling how long she'd be stuck in this world after all.

"Thank you, Emizella," she expressed her gratitude first, "but I really did mean it when I said I'd be fine." Her eyes flickered over to Lillian, seeing how far that brionne could get with no legs. "Besides, it'd be good to break out of my shell," she stated, watching Lillian raise one of her flippers to get the two's attention, waving at them to hurry up.

Emizella chuckled softly at the statement, a paw pressing down between the fennekin's tall ears, petting the soft fur in silent praise before jogging on ahead, "All right, if you're fine with it, that's cool too." she smiled, bright and full, before running up ahead to catch up with her eager friend.

Crystal watched her silently before she felt the corners of her lips curl up, feeling hopeful and a bit more confident in her decision as she ran to catch up to the two of them.


	5. Chapter 5

"Welcome!" a pair of kecleon called from behind the store desk.

A small bell rang over the trio's head as they entered the shop, a feeling of familiarity filling Crystal's tiny body as she saw the aisles of various items, the rows of fresh berries, the chilly ice box filled with cool drinks and treats. She had a suspicion that this general store was quite similar to the stores from her own world. It was surprising how advanced the building was considering there were no humans around. But, she supposed, there were plenty of pokemon with intelligence on par, if not better than, human intelligence. She still couldn't help feeling impressed.

"Hey Lily, Emi…" a kecleon greeted his shop's visitors, taking pause when he noticed a new face among the group. "Oh! Who's your friend there?"

"This is Crystal!" Lillian wrapped a flipper around the golden fox's neck, pulling her closer so the twin pair could get a better look at her, "Emi found her and is taking care of her while she's adjusting to things here." Crystal looked between Lillian's beaming expression and the kecleons' curious gazes, smiling sheepishly as she waved a paw at them.

"Well, nice to meet you, Crystal! I'm Tim and this is my sister, Kim." he nodded towards the second kecleon behind the counter, her hand giving the fennekin a little wave as her brother introduced her.

"Our family's been running this store since the goddess Xerneas first blessed this village." Kim took the chance to give the information, her voice filled with pride at the accomplishment, "We've really grown and expanded since then. We used to just sell items we found in the nearby dungeons, but now, we connect with partners around the world to improve our shop's variety and stock!"

"Kim here is a whiz at finding what you need!" Tim exclaimed, pressing his hands onto his sister's shoulders and rocking her in his enthusiasm. "Even if we don't have it, she can find someone who does!"

"Well, I do what I can," his sister laughed, it wasn't every day they had a new pokemon who they could sell their services to.

Crystal, personally, wasn't really in the market for anything specifically. She didn't even know if there was anything she needed in the first place, but it all sounded rather exciting to know that any needs she _did_ have were taken care of. She gave a nod of acknowledgment before hearing her name being called.

"Could you c'mere for a second?" Emizella asked, her shopping taking her to the other side of the store.

"Coming!" Crystal called back, squeezing out from Lillian's hold before trotting over to Emizella who was browsing through the berries and produce. "What was it you needed?" she asked as she joined by the riolu's side.

"I was just wondering if you had any taste preferences. Like is there anything that you won't eat of something you like?" she turned her head towards the fox, her hands debating between two very ripe looking pecha berries.

_Spicy_, a voice told Crystal instantly to give her an answer to the question. "I really like spicy foods,"

Emizella smirked as she raised an eyebrow at the fennekin, "Like mild spice or burn your tongue off spice?"

"More like 'I live for the challenge' spice."

The riolu laughed, her teeth clamping together to turn its volume into a snicker. "My kind of gal!" she said as she regained her composure, "Alright, I'll make something really good for dinner tonight. You can head back to Lily, thanks."

Crystal nodded her head, regarding the chuckling Emizella for a moment longer before walking back to Lillian, overhearing them in the middle of their own conversation while she was away.

"Oh, you're back." Time greeted Crystal upon her return, Lillian's attention turning from the counter to shine her smile at the small fox.

"What did Emi want?" she asked, too curious not to.

"She just wanted to ask about dinner." Crystal answered, standing next to Lillian by the twin's store desk.

"Aw, isn't that nice? Lily was just telling us how Emi helped you out when you arrived here. You've really had a rough start out there, huh?" the brother asked, a sympathetic look glistening in his eyes as he spoke.

Crystal wasn't really sure how to respond to that. Yes, it was true, but how appropriate was it to spread it around? Maybe that's just how close everyone was, or how friendly Lillian was with everyone around her. Her sunset eyes looked towards the brionne, raising a brow at her as if to silently ask why she was talking about it.

"Sorry," she pressed her flippers together in apology, "I promise I'm not actually a blabbermouth, I just got so excited about Emi's generosity that it slipped."

The twins looked worried, fearing that they might've said something they shouldn't have or that they might've gotten their friend into a tight spot with the new face.

"Please, don't be too upset with Lily." Kim spoke first, her brother nodding along with her, "We were actually talking about Emi and how hard she's been working to be an adventurer."

"That's right!" her brother jumped in, the two smiling as they reminiscence about the conversation, "We were talking about how much of an adventurer's head she was growing helping pokemon in need without thinking about it."

"Oh," Crystal looked to the kecleon twins, registering their explanation. She supposed it was only natural that she would come up in a conversation like that, being Emizella's latest rescue case. "So, does everyone know about her ambition of becoming an adventurer?"

"Oh yes! It's all she's ever wanted to do since she was little. And with her brother taking on the profession, she's become more like our village's pride." Tim laughed, thinking back to the younger days.

"You guys talking about how great I am?" Emizella brought the items up front, placing them on the twin's store desk.

"How did you guess?" Tim laughed, starting to calculate how much was owed for the inventory of items.

"You know you can't hide things like that from me." she grinned, tapping at the feelers draped behind her head. Crystal's eyes looked towards the drooping appendages, wondering how true that actually was or if she was just teasing.

"Oh! Why don't you kids take one of these?" Kim exclaimed, calling their attention towards her as she walked into the staff room in the back. She took a minute before emerging from the employee space with three wrapped pastries drizzled with powder sugar and honey. "We just got these in from the southern islands, a local treat they call malasadas." she explained as she added one to Emizella's items and gave the other two to Lillian and Crystal. "Think of it as a free sample." she said with a wink.

"Thank you…" Crystal said in a soft voice, opening the wrapper and taking a bite out of it. Instantly, her mouth was filled with the sweet flavors of the berry custard stuffed inside. Complimented with the toppings of the dough and Crystal felt like she was eating festival food without the excitable setting, making her feel unbelievably warm inside.

"It tastes amazing!" Lillian put the feeling into words, enjoying the treat along with her. "Are you guys going to get in different flavors too?"

"Well, if this batch sells as good as we hope, then of course!" Kim grinned widely, happy for such a positive reception.

"Trust me, they will." Lillian commented as she stuffed her face with the pastry, getting a bit of the sugar and custard on her face as she wolfed it down.

Crystal giggled softly as she spotted the mess, "You got a bit on your face there." she pointed out with her paw.

"Where?" the brionne tried to get it, but her flippers couldn't quite locate where the mess could be.

Crystal shook her head slightly, amused by the failed efforts, "Here, let me get it," she offered, extending the limb to sweep the substance off the brionne's face. It got her face clean but now her own paw was dirty with it. Thinking of no other way to get it off, she began licking her fur clean, her own mind assuming nothing of it. Her other two companions, however, held a different opinion.

Lillian's eyes glistened, staring speechlessly at the small fox while Emizella's lips pursed to hold in a giggle, letting the scene play out before the sound of her laughter could ruin the moment.

"What?" Crystal looked between the two, a curious brow raised at their strange reactions.

"Nothing," they both answered practically at the same time, although one of them sounded more panicked than the other. The fennekin couldn't distinguish which belonged to whom.

Tim chuckled softly at the trio, finishing up with placing Emizella's things into a strapped basket before fixing the lid on top. "You're all set, Emi." he gave the riolu the distraction she needed to avoid bursting at the seams.

"Thanks," Emizella cleared her throat, turning to face the store clerk. She handed him a few silver coins from the pouch she kept on the side of her body before taking the basket and the wrapped malasada, keeping the treat contained in its packaging.

"Aren't you going to try yours?" Crystal asked, licking her lips of the lingering sweet remnants as she finished her own pastry.

"Yeah, just saving it for when I get back," the blue canine answered, adjusting the basket onto her back and fitting the straps over her shoulder. With how much Tim had packed away in there, Crystal would have figured the load would be too heavy for her to handle alone, but she took on the burdensome weight like a champ, making the bundle look like it weighed nothing.

She turned her attention towards the two, "All set,"

"Great!" Lillian exclaimed before waving at the two kecleon, "We'll see you around then, and thanks for the malasadas!"

"Any time, Lily!" Kim nodded her head, the friendly expression fixed firm to her face, "And Crystal?" The fennekin's ears perked up, her eyes turning to meet their beaming gazes. "We hope to see you again soon!"

Crystal's smile spread across her muzzle, nodding her head with an affirmative hum before trotting out with Lillian and Emizella. Maybe it was the sweetness of the malasada or maybe it was the kindness of the customer service pokemon that held great pride in what they do. Actually, perhaps it was more accurate to say it was a combination of both that put the pep in the fennekin's step.

"Alright, I'll be heading back first," Emizella jumped the basket hanging off of her shoulders slightly, adjusting the bulking mass to sit just right on her body. She turned to look at Crystal, careful of the added space her body took up with its added baggage and patted the fox's head, smushing one of her ears down with the pet. "I'll swing back around later to pick you up."

"Why do you sound like a mom leaving their kid with a sitter?" Lillian asked with a raised brow.

"I do not!" Emizella said, quickly denying the accusation and removing her hand just as fast as she directed a pout towards the brionne.

Crystal didn't seem to mind it, however, feeling a little disappointed to have her pets cut off so soon. She honestly didn't take much notice of it either, the riolu was just one who liked to take care of others as far as she knew. Nothing to fret over or feel embarrassed about. But she was sure saying as much wouldn't make Emizella feel any better about it, not at this moment at least.

"Whatever," Emizella huffed, turning her head away from the seal's giggles.

She may not be receptive to accepting her doting tone, but the least the fennekin could do was offer her a goodbye. "I'll see you soon, Emizella."

That got a more positive look on the riolu's face, placing the smile back on her lips. She nodded her head towards the fox and pointed two digits between her eyes and Lillian's.

Lillian chuckled softly, lifting a flipper and waving goodbye towards the riolu, watching her walk away towards the village's arch before turning her attention back towards Crystal. "Okay! Let's get this show on the road." she announced, feeling eager and energetic about showing the fennekin around her home.

As they walked down the village's beaten path, Crystal couldn't help but notice the surplus of greetings Lillian was receiving as she led her charge towards the next mark in her tour. Some were quick hellos, tiny salutations to show she had been seen and noticed. Others went for longer, asking how her day had been, little updates on how life had been treating them and occasionally asking if she could catch up with them again later after her initial business as tour guide was done.

Crystal watched a roserade continue down his path, smiling at the fennekin in a brief greeting before passing her. "You're pretty popular, aren't you?" she said in a frank, flat tone, merely speaking matter-of-factly about her observations.

The brionne's head turned, a bashful hue coloring her face as a flipper rubbed at the back of her head, "Maybe a bit," _She didn't deny it._ "I'm a priestess of Xerneas so there's that too."

There was that name again, the goddess of life, Xerneas. Crystal had begun to figure the celestial pokemon was a big part of this village's history and sustainability. It got her feeling a little curious if the pokemon actually blessed this land or if it was just a legend twisted and changed with time.

"Anyway, here we are!" Lillian intruded into Crystal's thoughts with the declaration, stopping in front of a shop whose sign read "Rhyme & Reason."

The window display sported a few accessories including a red plaid bandana wrapped around a furfrou mannequin head's neck with red-framed shades resting atop its forehead. Another mannequin head, a delcatty, Crystal noted, wore a jeweled collar with a sky blue, crystalline gem seated in a center slot with clamped earrings snapped to its ears to match.

"A clothing store?" the fennekin asked with a raised brow.

"Not _just _a clothing store," Lillian giggled at Crystal's puzzlement, "Their clothes and accessories actually have added effects to them. Coats that nullify sleep, rings that boost special attacks, bands that pack an extra punch, you name it!" she gave the air in front of her a few punches to add some extra emphasis but her excitement was enough emphasis enough. "They make really high-quality gear, so if you're ever in the market for stat-boosting accessories, this is the place to shop."

Okay, well at least Crystal knew that the brionne didn't bring her here without any rhyme or reason herself. The fox pokemon gave a short nod of acknowledgment. Lillian bounced happily at the signal, opening the door and slipping inside.

"Hello, hello, beautifuls!" an effeminate voice called from a room off to the side of the main sales floor, "Just a minute and I'll be right with you."

Sunset eyes ran across the floor, eyeing the mannequins of different body types and shapes. From the largest tyrannitar to the teeny, tiniest joltix, it got Crystal wondering where the shop owner got these and who made them. They were dressed in jackets and shirts; dresses and skirts with the displayed fashion items kept respectively close along the wall with two rows of hanging clothing articles. It was all kept in order by the color spectrum with a lovely gradient that felt pleasing to the eye. _It would be a real shame to put anything out of place._

"Sorry for the wait!" the voice called out as a natural cut furfrou walked out of the room with a leavanny tailing close behind with a box cradled in its arms. "Oh! Bless my stars, if it isn't _our_ little star! Here to pick out a new dress? Because I've got _just_ the perfect style!" His way of speaking was as quick as a vine whip and as melodic as a song. Like honeydew and syrup, his voice felt as luscious as his fur.

Lillian let out an excited gasp, "Really?" she asked, momentarily blinded before remembering her true purpose. She cleared her throat, "I'll have to come back for it later. Right now, I'm showing Crystal around the village. She's new in town."

"Crystal, huh?" the furfrou turned his attention to the fennekin with a raised, curious brow, never losing the smirk on his excited face, "What an absolutely lovely name."

"Thank you," Crystal responded softly, feeling a little warm under such a pokemon with an eye for beauty and fashion.

"And such a sweetie too. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Crystal. I'm Damien, I own this store with my wife. And over there is Beau." he nodded her head to the leavanny who nodded and smiled back to the fennekin politely, but mostly focused on his own work of straightening up the shop.

"My wife should be upstairs at the moment… Hang on one sugar sec, I'll go call her down." he said, already beginning to advance towards the stairs that would lead up to his living quarters.

"Oh, you don't have to." the golden fox tried to stop him before he could trouble himself.

Damien laughed, "But I must. She'll be upset with me if I don't." he told her before looking upward, "Janice, darling! Come meet Crystal!" she heard his voice as he ascended, completely disappearing from her sight.

Crystal's head tilted to the side, wondering what he could have meant by that before she caught Lillian's eyes glancing and searching around the store area, turning her head left and right before sighing.

"I guess Lilac is playing with Luna today," she muttered with a bit of dejection in her tone.

"Who?"

"Oh, Lilac is their youngest daughter. They have another, but she's grown and living in the city."

It took Crystal a moment to realize the implication behind the statement. The way her newfound knowledge worked was that the concept had to be introduced to her first before any basic information on the topic could be fed into her conscious thinking. So, when Lillian explained how the shop owners' eldest daughter was way in the city, the information that triggered for her referred to the country's capital—a large city bursting with creativity and innovation. It's a marvel to behold but only the most talented and resourceful could make a living for themselves in that cut-throat environment. To hear that their daughter was living there and, assumingly, carving out a life for herself with some level of success was, well, inspiring to say the least.

"That's…amazing." Crystal whispered with her awestruck gaze.

"I know! I hear she has her own boutique now! She's gotten pretty busy but she likes to visit home from time to time. Maybe you'll get to meet her the next time she swings by." Lillian said, smiling brightly her golden companion to match the sparkling gleam she saw in the other's eyes.

Crystal gave a soft nod of her head before her ears rotated back towards the steps, hearing the descending pitter-patter of several feet. She turned her head to see Damien making his way down first while a delcatty followed close behind, her fur looking as plush and radiant as her husband's.

The second her deep, brilliant eyes fell on the fennekin's figure, her expression lit up in enthusiasm, her body trotting forward to meet the new face. "Well hello, you must be Crystal. It's a pleasure to meet you." she said, her voice sounding so refined and polished that it made Crystal wondering if it was truly her natural way of speaking. "I'm Damien's wife and business partner, Janice. I'm usually upstairs making our new designs, but you're more than welcome to visit me any time."

Crystal nodded her head in a polite yet reserved manner while feeling Lillian's reassuring flipper rest on her back. "She'll be staying with Emi for a while out in her base." the brionne stated.

"Oh? How is Emi doing these days?" Janice asked, directing the question towards the fennekin as her tail swayed with intrigue behind her body.

"She's alright," Crystal willed herself to speak, "She went back after doing some shopping but she'll be back to walk me home."

"Oh!" Damien exclaimed, "That reminds me!" He dug through the area behind the counter, the sounds of shifting items and materials filling the quiet pause her incited. When he reemerged again, he was balancing a yellow headband on the back of his paw. "Crystal, sweetheart, I know we've only just met, but would you mind taking this with you to give to Emi when you see her?" he asked, offering the headband over for Crystal to take. "It's the order she had us commission a while ago."

"You still have that?" Janice asked, raising an eyebrow at her husband.

"You know how busy we've been, I haven't had the chance to have it delivered." he answered, defending his misstep before turning his attention back to the fennekin, "Pretty please? You'd be doing me _such_ a huge favor." he pleaded, taking a seat as he pressed his front paws together.

Crystal's eyes fell to the band before looking back up to Damien's eyes, "Sure. It's no problem at all."

"Oh, thank you! You're such a doll!" he exclaimed, happily handing over the band and ringing it around one of her ears.

It slipped and slid over one of Crystal's eyes, the young fox making an adjustment with her paw to move it out of her face. "It's really no trouble." Crystal insisted, testing the balance of the accessory before lowering her paw.

"That may be so but it still doesn't paint the best first impression to be asking favors right off the bat. I ought to give you something for the assist…" she said, his voice trailing off as he pressed a paw to the side of his face in contemplation.

"Oh! Darling, why don't we make her a new bag?" Janice suggested, the lightbulb going off behind her eyes and making them shine brilliantly with inspiration.

"Ooo, excellent idea!" Damien clapped his paws together, clasping them in his burst of creative excitement, "How's about it? A little token for your service?"

"You really don't have to." Crystal tried to refuse out of modesty, not wanting to burden them with anything unnecessary.

"Nonsense! This here is our bread and butter. Fashioning a new bag is child's play. If anything, it'd be a fun little in-between project." the delcatty stated with a smile spreading wide on her face.

"Well, I…" Crystal spoke hesitantly, her eyes flashing back to Lillian and seeing that gracious beaming smile that held her hand- or, well, paw in this case. "A bag would be helpful, I suppose. And, I don't have one so… if it really is no trouble…"

"No trouble at all! We'll have it done in a flash." Damien exclaimed with joy, "Beau! Could you- Oh," he turned to meet the leavanny only to see his silent assistant standing behind him with shades of amethysts and violets that would complement the gold of the fennekin's fur. "Excellent choice! Have these placed in the workroom, would you, doll?"

Beau nodded his head at the request, carrying the selections into the side room.

"I'll go ahead and start on the design." Janice stated, smiling down at Crystal and nodding her head towards the fennekin in parting, "It was lovely meeting you, Crystal. I hope you'll enjoy yourself while you call our humble town home."

And with that, she continued her happy trot up the stairs back towards her workroom. Crystal followed the sound of her bubbly steps through the second story of the shop, ears turning like radars until she noticed the furfrou's light chuckle filling the space with a soft, refreshing air.

"I best get back to work too," he mused, taking a glance towards the two, "We'll have it delivered once it's finished." he winked, a silent promise that this one would be delivered in a timely fashion for sure.

"Thanks again!" Crystal called out of his departing figure, watching him give a short nod of acknowledgment before vanishing back into his work.

~uwu~

The further along in their tour they went, the more comfortable Crystal felt about this place. Even though she was a new face to this small village dynamic, everyone seemed so nice and welcoming to her new presence. Even given her mysterious background, they were still kind, willing to give her every benefit of the doubt in their small greeting and uplifting exchanges. Maybe it was because of Lillian's vouching for her to the locals. Or maybe it was because she was staying with someone as reliable as Emizella. Regardless of the reason, it filled the fennekin's tiny body with a feeling of responsibility—a responsibility to live up to their good word and demonstrate that their trust wasn't misplaced.

"So, what do you think?" Lillian asked, turning her head back as she led them to their final destination.

"Huh?" Crystal pulled herself out of her thoughts, the question repeating itself in her head a second time to register the words. She smiled when it finally clicked, nodding her head, "It's a very pleasant village and the pokemon here are awfully sweet." she answered.

Lillian laughed, "Yeah, I'm trying to keep the troublemakers away so you can see the village at its very best."

"Troublemakers?"

"Oh, don't worry. It's nothing too bad. Just a couple of pranksters and the like, but they're harmless." Lillian said, waving off Crystal's concern with a laugh, "Anyway, we're up to our last stop, the Tree of-"

"Nope," just then, the young brionne found herself walking into the large paw of a luxray that towered over the two girls and stared at them with his golden, piercing gaze.

Lillian was taken back by the sudden halt, a nervous look flashing over her face as she turned to meet the luxray's scolding gaze. "Hey, Zeke… you're on duty today?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"Leona couldn't take her shift, said her kid came down with a cold last night."

"Jaime's sick?!" Lillian exclaimed, distracted for a moment with a sympathetic look crossing her solemn eyes before it dawned on her that this probably wasn't good for her and her tour either. "That's too bad… Say, could _you_ let us through then?"

His eyes just narrowed, daring her to try and ask such a ridiculous question again.

"C'mon!"

"You know the rules, no outsiders permitted on holy ground. Not until they've become a full citizen of the village." he explained, his gaze turning towards Crystal and sending shivers down her spine that bade her to be quiet. "And someone who's only been here for a day is certainly not allowed even a step closer."

"But surely you can make an exception." Lillian's voice gave Crystal something else to pay attention to, something less imposing and frightening than a luxray's glare, "She's with me, doesn't that count for something?"

"Rules are rules, Lillian. I can't go bending them just to satisfy your little game."

"But you could," the brionne argued back but was immediately met with a growl for her efforts that sent a cold sweat racing down her back. "Fine, fine, twist my fins, why don't you?" she yielded, escorting Crystal along the perimeter of flowers and around the grassy hill to find them a better look at the massively grand, old tree.

Crystal's eyes looked back towards the luxray, seeing him still staring towards her body with a skeptic look engraved deep into his spiraling irises. She felt her heart sink into the bottom of her stomach, her fears and anxieties manifesting in this one pokemon's intimidating stare.

"Don't mind him," Lillian brought her back, pulling her sunset eyes forward, "Zeke may be a bit of a grump but he's just a grump that takes his job seriously. Not really your fault he has to be suspicious of every new face in town… even though hardly anything happens in this place…" she muttered past her pursed lips and puffed cheeks.

The fennekin stared at her for a moment, debating whether she should speak the question lingering on the tip of her tongue before she tentatively let the words flow from her lips. "What… is his job?"

The brionne looked back at her, regarding her face for a moment before smiling softly, "He's the leading officer for the tree's guard, the ones who protect the Tree of Being's sacred land and Xerneas's crystal."

A flipper gestured for Crystal's eyes to land upon the village's sacred tree, her vision scaling up its immense height and taking in its lengthy girth. Its trunk shot high into the sky, bare branches and thin twigs licking towards the vast, blue opening and spreading its protections over the village's area. Despite the warm weather, despite the sea of green that blanketed the canopy, not a single bud or blossom colored the grey bark, but she couldn't see the tree as dead. No, there was still life in its systems, embedded deep inside that kept it going. Then was it asleep? _Was she asleep?_

There was a throbbing sensation that pierced Crystal's head, the world going on mute as everything muffled out. Her teeth clenched at the second strike, her eyes looking towards the tree and seeing a radiant cerulean glow coming from its base.

_"So it's you,"_

The light of the glow flickered, the voice in her head weighing on her like a painful migraine.

_"You're the one they sent this time?"_

Her vision became blurry, her legs growing weak until she couldn't bear it any longer. Her body fell to the ground, the world darkening just as a blue and white shadow came into her periphery.

_"I see…"_

Her senses dulled, numbing while the pain slowly began to subside, leaving her with an unbearable exhaustion that dragged her into a dreamless sleep.

_"Let us hope… that you will be the last."_

~uwu~

When Crystal came back into the world of the living, she was no longer outside on the beaten walkway surrounding the sacred tree, the dirt and sunken pebbles replaced with a cushy bed and thin sheets. She couldn't sense the sun on her back anymore, its warm touch long gone by now.

As her awareness slowly returned to her, she could faintly make out Emizella's familiar voice in the distant background of her mind, her usual confidence and upbeat tone drowned out under a sea of nerves and concerns that almost sounded scared.

"I really don't know what happened!" Lillian insisted, her own voice strained and scratchy with fear, "We were talking. Everything seemed fine. But then, she started to look like she was in pain, and she passed out before she could say anything was wrong."

Crystal blinked her eyes open once and then again, letting herself adjust to the light of the room and its brightness bombarding her pupils. She let out a soft groan, raising her head slowly in an attempt to lift her body and mind out of sleep.

"Crystal!" Lillian called her name, the shout immediately shushed by a hatterene on duty but she didn't give the warning too much attention as she pulled the fennekin into a hug. "You had me so worried, why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?" she asked with a soft whimper.

"I…" Crystal stopped, wondering how she would even explain what had happened. _That voice_, she considered for a moment, _could that have been…?_ "Sorry, I was enjoying myself so much, I didn't want to cut things short." she said. _Probably not the best idea to tell them I'm hearing voices._

Lillian held her at arms-length, staring into her with a chastising scowl pressed firmly into her brows, "Don't be ridiculous, we could have continued at any time! But your health is way more important."

Her orange eyes looked between Lillian and Emizella, seeing that the riolu wanted to further emphasize Lillian's point but chose to let the brionne's words speak for the both of them with a silent nod of agreement.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Crystal could do nothing but apologize, her ears draping over her face in remorse, "I didn't mean to worry you both."

Lillian held the expression for a second longer before breathing it away with a relaxing sigh, "It's fine, just… don't go scaring me like that again, okay?" she asked, smiling sweetly at the fennekin.

Crystal nodded her head, "Yeah… Sorry again." her eyes went over to Emizella, "To you too."

The canine watched her for a moment before lowering her head and rubbing at the back of her head slightly, "S'fine. As long as you get it and you're okay." she said, her crimson eyes peeking up to see Crystal still looking at her, pondering something behind those clear, sunset orange orbs. She took the hint and made her way closer to the bed, "Well, we better start heading home. It's gotten pretty late."

"Huh?" Crystal's gaze flashed over to the dusk-filled sky, seeing the dark orange falling while the violet and indigo hues moved in to take its place. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours, from what I heard." Emizella answered.

"_Hours?_" her body shot up quickly before going right back down again, finally noticing the headache that was lingering from her episode.

The riolu shook her head with a light chuckle, "Don't worry about it. Now c'mon, we have dinner waiting for us at home." she said, turning her back towards the curling fox and beckoning her to climb on with a gentle jerk of her head.

Crystal didn't argue with the offer, crawling her way onto Emizella's backside and clinging to her shoulders. She felt herself being held to her body firmly before she was lifted with ease. She wondered if she weighed anything to her being held up like she was nothing.

"We'll have to get together again sometime." Lillian said as she watched the two settle into a comfortable position for their journey home. "Don't be a stranger and don't let Jesse turn you away either, okay?"

Crystal smiled and nodded her head slightly, "Of course. I'll see you around." she raised a paw off Emizella's shoulders and waved to the brionne, watcher her wave back while the riolu led them out of the medical center.

The two traveled in silence through the darkening forest, letting the nighttime hues drape over them with their cool, midnight colors and shades. The nocturnal residents began to fill the air with their gentle chirpings and soft calls. It didn't make the woodland any more frightening than it could be in the day, Crystal noted, just new and calm.

"You want to tell me what actually happened?" Emizella's voice broke the silent spell, drawing the fox's eyes to regard the back of her head when she sat up slightly to answer.

Well, she wanted to answer, but she wasn't sure how. Obviously, the riolu wasn't ready to buy into the idea that Crystal was just pushing herself too hard today. So, how much was she willing to accept as the truth?

"Of course," she spoke up again, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I get that you have your own secrets to keep, I think everyone does, but if I could learn just a little bit more about you… it'd really help me to help you, y'know? At least where I can." Emizella looked back towards Crystal, craning her head to show the grin that filled her lips with nurturing support and kindness.

Crystal's lips pursed, guilt and shame overwhelming her heart before the riolu's smile. Of all the pokemon that could have found her, of all the pokemon that could have rushed to her aid and reached out their hand to her, she found someone so willing to work with her despite her limited knowledge and social prowess. She wondered if she deserved this; if she had done well enough in her past life to deserve such a friend looking out for her.

"I…" she still struggled with the right words to say, but decided to try, "I'm not so sure what happened myself. One minute, Lillian was telling me about the sacred tree, and the next thing I knew, there was a splitting headache and everything went black." It wasn't everything, Crystal choosing to restrain from mentioning the disembodied voice, but it was something.

Emizella hummed softly, acknowledging her explanation and pondering it at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Emizella. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't." Crystal's voice came in a soft whisper, her ears falling to the sides of her face in her depression.

"Hey, hey, there's no need to apologize." the riolu insisted, shaking her head slowly to avoid hitting her passenger with her black feelers. "It's fine, really. I'm just happy you told me anything." She laughed softly, nudging at the little fox with a gentle jump. "But… there is one thing I'd like to say." she drew Crystal's attention, the fennekin shifting to capture the other's words, "You don't have to keep calling me Emizella. We're friends, aren't we? Just call me Emi."

Crystal stared at her for a moment, letting the nickname sink in and allowing the words to echo between her ears. The smile was on her face before she even felt the muscles pulling on her lips. Her muzzle nestled into the crook of Emizella's neck, feeling a momentary stiffness fill the riolu's body as she buried her nose into her warmth and scent.

_Strange…has she always had this earthy smell_, she pondered for a moment before dismissing the thought

"Thank you," she whispered, her mind going numb and her body focusing solely on the gentle rocking of Emizella carrying her home.


	6. Chapter 6

It has already been several days since the two of them started living together and Emizella's generosity was starting to weigh heavily on Crystal's consciousness. She noticed how independent the riolu had learned to become in her time of living alone. She had the dedication and discipline to keep up with her training, the resourcefulness to keep her home well supplied and the kindness to say to Crystal that she didn't have to worry about anything.

"I can't ask my guest to work," she insisted when Crystal asked if there was anything she could do to help around the place.

_But am I even a guest anymore?_ she wondered, picking up a loose twig and starting to chew at it, _Aren't I just a freeloader at this point?_

"Hey Crystal, I'm back!" Emizella called as she ducked into their base, the band from Damien and Janice's shop clinging to her forehead and a winded look lingering on her face. "Hm? What's wrong? You seem kinda down today."

Crystal watched her for a moment before sighing and letting the half-eaten stick fall from her lips. "It doesn't feel right to just lounge around doing nothing. I feel really lazy and I guess it's bumming me out…" her front paws slid out from under her, sprawling out on the grass and stretching beneath the speckling sunrays. "I mean… I should be helping out, shouldn't I? At least with my living expenses, right?" she asked, her eyes peering up towards Emizella's staring gaze.

"You know, there isn't much of a difference between supporting one pokemon and two, so-" she stopped herself, seeing the glistening gaze striking at her core harder than any punch she could muster. She bit her tongue before she could even think about finishing that statement and started again. "Well, there are some odd jobs floating around the village if you _really_ want something to do."

"Really?" Crystal's eyes brightened, showing Emizella that she truly could find stars sparkling during the day. Her tail wagged behind her, the little ball of fluff going a mile a minute at the prospect of something to do with her time. "Like where?"

The riolu swallowed down something, her eyes diverting in thought, "Well… Lily does babysitting on the side, so she could probably introduce you to someone. Tim and Kim are always looking for a few extra hands when they get their stock in and then there's the schoolteachers looking for assistants." She counted each one off on her fingers, stopping when she ran out of digits to count with on one paw but it was a good start. "There are others too, it's just about asking around."

"Lily babysitting, Tim and Kim's store, and the school… Got it!" Crystal nodded her head, excited to get a start on things.

She bounded towards her new bag, a faded midnight pack that shifted from deep violet to soulful indigo with several stars accented across the surface, slipping her head under the sash and adjusting it onto her back.

Emizella wordlessly watched the fennekin hastily prepare herself for her departure, running past her at a light gallop before she remembered she could speak. "Wait, you're going now?"

"Hm?" she slid to a stop, looking back at her curiously, "Why? Is it too late now?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"I wouldn't say it's late, but…" she started to stumble, her reasoning and rationale fading with every second those wide, curious eyes stared at her with expectation. She breathed out a short breath, shaking her head slowly, "No, never mind. You're… alright with heading there yourself, right?"

Crystal's smile returned, nodding her head with certainty, "Yeah, I know the way." she reassured her before turning to leave. "I'll be back before nightfall." she called, already gone with the vines and leaves swinging from her departure.

"Yeah… have fun…"

~uwu~

Crystal couldn't quite say that "fun" was the right word for it, but after her first pay, she couldn't deny the giddiness she felt in earning the coins that jingled in her pouch. It was a sense of pride and accomplishment that sent her skipping down the trail with her small contributions. And being able to buy the groceries for dinner, with just enough extra for dessert, made her heart swell.

She could hardly believe it herself, how bringing back just a few coins could make her this happy, but she finally felt like she was giving back to Emizella's generosity. At least enough to say she wasn't a complete mooch.

"You're always so eager to help…" an elderly trevenant said in his slow, ancient voice.

Crystal turned to look at him, sorting away the books into the village library's shelves. From what she had learned, he was recognized as the village's great Elder Pines. Some have said that he's been around since the village's finding a long time ago. Judging by the deep grooves in his bark, Crystal could believe it.

"Such a cute little busy body, you remind me of my little Dahlia when she was a wee flabébé." he laughed, the leaves on his body shaking with the fond memories.

"These are the last of them." a florges with her rosy petals sighed, a small stack of books cradled in her arms before she set them beside Crystal's short stature. "Papa, it's pretty late. Shouldn't you be home?"

"Nonsense. Besides, a moonlit stroll does these old branches some good." he shooed at the thought, watching his great-great-granddaughter give a short sigh at his reluctance to leave.

"Alright. We're almost done here, so at least let me walk you home."

"Such a sweet girl." he smiled, honestly the most docile, jagged grin Crystal had ever seen.

It felt a little contagious, the corners of her own lips turning upward in a soft smile. She let it linger as she continued to help file everything away. Mindless work but satisfying in its own regards. Everything had a place and everything slipped nicely into its space among the shelves.

As she slid each book away into their respective homes, a thought flashed through her mind like a solemn reminder. Everyone had their place, a space where they fit just right. Dahlia's was in this library surrounded by stories and tales from the past. Elder Pines's was right in this village, watching over the pokemon that collectively called this place their home. But Crystal… there was a place for her. Obviously, there was a place for her somewhere in this world. But where was it? _What_ was it?

"_You're the one they sent this time?"_ She remembered the voice.

She hadn't heard it since that day nor had she experienced any fainting spells or skull-splitting headaches. What could it have meant? _What does it mean by "this time"?_

"Oh! How did that one get in there?" Dahlia's voice drew in Crystal's eyes, startling her out of her thoughts as she looked up at the florges thumbing through the pages of one of the books. "I've told Clarise so many times that this belongs in the culture section, not history…"

She looked at the cover from beneath Dahlia's levitating body, "Xerneas: Goddess of Life and Beginning."

"What are you talking about? Xerneas is part of our history." her grandfather argued, reaching a handout and gesturing for Dahlia to hand it over.

"Papa… we've been over this…" she muttered but handed him the book despite her troubled expression.

"I was there, you know." he said to Crystal, leaning closer and pointing to Xerneas's celestial depiction on the cover. "Ah, I've never told you before, have I?"

Crystal shook her head slowly, completely oblivious to the silent, adamant objections coming from Dahlia's crossing arms and shaking head.

"I see, well then, back before any of this, back before we were even a small speck on the world's map, we were just a small band of pokemon, traveling together in search of a place to call home. I was just a small phantump back then but I remember it clearly. Some of us were refugees running away from cruelty and injustice. Some of us didn't have a home to go back to and were forced to find a new home. My family and I were the latter, our forest burnt down by a terrible, uncontrollable flame."

Dahlia sighed softly, picking up where she let off and letting the old tree carry on with his story.

"We carried on for miles upon miles, never knowing when our journey would end. I started to think that it never would end; that I'd be a wandering little phantump forever. And then… I saw her in a dream."

"Saw who?" Crystal asked, eyes wide and hanging onto his every word.

"The goddess of life herself, Xerneas." he let the name sink in for a second before continuing, "She said to me, 'You've come such a long way, my little lights. You needn't travel much further. Past the stream and through the trees, you'll find a part of me watching over a small clearing. I will gift this land to you so that your family and friends may thrive for generations upon generations.' I woke up and immediately went searching by myself. She spoke the truth and I found our new home here." he nodded his head, as sure of his facts as his leaves were luscious and green.

"But… why you, if you don't mind me asking. Why did she come to your dreams?" Crystal asked carefully, attempting to refrain from stepping on his roots.

The elder gave a hearty laugh, her leaves rustling wildly, "Who am I to guess the intentions of a goddess?" he asked back, thankfully taking no offense to the question. "I will say this, her words were true. We've been able to thrive peacefully under her protection for nearly two hundred years. Whatever her intentions were, I'm sure they were benevolent."

_Benevolent, huh?_ Crystal thought, considering the idea for a moment before she heard Dahlia clap her hands loudly.

"Alright, it looks like we're done for today." she announced, calling Crystal's attention to the lack of books left to be shelved and the full shelves looking neat and trim and ready for tomorrow's visitors to mess it up all over again.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I stopped paying attention and you ended up finishing for me." Crystal said, her ears lowering guiltily.

"Don't worry about it. When Papa starts talking, you can't help but listen." Dahlia waved her hands at her, blowing away her worries with the soft breeze, "You're still new around here so you haven't built up an immunity yet, but trust me, you'll get used to it."

Crystal's head rose up slightly, her ears still drooped but they were slowly starting to lift themselves back up again under the florges's forgiving smile.

She reached into her bouquet, rummaging her hand through the flowers before snagging onto the coin purse she was looking for. "Here you are," she handed over several coins, the pile feeling a bit heavier than what Crystal was expecting, "and a little extra for humoring my grandpa." she whispered with a wink.

Crystal didn't have a chance to say anything about the unexpected tip, Dahlia already turning to start getting ready for their walk home. She could hear her in the back of her mind, her grandfather insisting the book belonged with their history collection and his granddaughter telling him that they'd talk about it once they were home.

Even though time wore at the mind, changing memories and adding a bit of fiction into their tales, something told Crystal that the legend of Xerneas and this village wasn't a mere myth. And something else was nagging at her that this legend was far from over.

~uwu~

By the time Crystal slinked herself back into their base, the stars were starting to wake up, giving their little greetings from the heavens above. No doubt that it was later than she usually returned home, but she was more concerned if Emizella might've been wondering where she was. Her eyes searched for her little blue body, scanning across their single-roomed hideout before finding her huddled away at the side, a bag laid open before her and a variety of tools and supplies by its side.

She looked too preoccupied to have noticed Crystal's return, her eyes narrowed in intense thought to hear the fennekin's soft paws crossing the distance and closing the gap. She looked past her body at her bag, mostly empty with one or two items stuffed into its pouch. Was she packing or unpacking? It could be either-or.

"Emi?" Crystal called her name, the light returning to her eyes at the sudden call.

"Oh? You're home already, Crystal?" she asked, turning to look towards the fennekin.

Crystal tilted her head, "Already? It's already nightfall." she said.

"Is it really?" Emizella looked upward at the nightly blues washed over the sky with their little jewels dotting and complementing its surface. "Huh…"

"What've you been doing? Planning a trip?"

"Kinda," she turned back to her bag, "I've hit a bit of a snag in my training so I was going to do some dungeon diving instead for some practical experience." She picked up a rope, stared at it for a moment before ultimately deciding to add it to her small, packed pile.

"Dungeon diving?" Crystal parroted, her ears twitching out the tired buzz in her head to make sure she heard her right.

"Yeah. Um… that's what I call going into dungeons without any solid plans. Just finding what I can and taking on anyone who wants a fight."

"So grinding." The word slipped out from Crystal's lips before she could question if that was even a term in this place.

Emizella laughed softly, "Grinding? Is that what they call it where you're from?"

"Something like that…" Crystal laughed as well, although a bit more nervous than the carefree sound bubbling up from the riolu but she hoped she masked most of it well enough.

"Heh, well, if 'grinding' is what you call getting stronger and smarter for the future then yes."

_That is exactly what grinding is._

"Hey, you've got any jobs lined up tomorrow?" she asked, a sudden idea lighting up Emizella's crimson eyes and making them shine like rubies.

"Tomorrow?" she thought about it, "No, I think I was going to take a break tomorrow."

"Oh… I see." the light flickered in her eyes, dulling slightly. "I was going to ask if you'd want to come with me, but I don't want to wear you out." She chuckled, but it felt hollow like a mere pleasantry, "Actually, you probably should take tomorrow off. You've been working pretty hard."

"I'll go." Crystal stopped her before the riolu could talk herself any further into rescinding her offer. "I want to go with you!" her voice grew adamant, almost shouting, before she could think to reel herself back with an embarrassed flush growing on her face. "I mean… we haven't had the chance to hang out in a while, so… I'd rather spend my day off with you."

Emizella stared at her, dumbstruck and slowly catching the pink bug that colored Crystal's cheeks. "Geez," she muttered, turning her face away, "When you say it like that, you've got me feeling kinda flattered…" she admitted, pushing one more chuckle before she felt ready to flash Crystal with her most excited grin. "Alright, let's get you packed too. We leave out first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Am I going to be getting any sleep?" she asked, her face looking innocent enough but Emizella could spot a jab when she heard one.

Well, a few jabs here and there were good too, she supposed.


	7. Chapter 7

"Adventure awaits us towards the rising sun!" Emizella announced with an excited zeal that chimed like youthful bells.

How she could have so much energy before the sun could even peek above the horizon was beyond Crystal but she was starting to suspect that she might have been sapping it from the fennekin's body through the night. After all, Crystal didn't have much to work with in terms of volume to begin with. But she put on a brave smile, she'd get it back through the commute.

"Before we set off, let's do one final check." she said with an affirmative nod.

"Didn't we check three times before we went to bed?"

"That was then! This is now!" the riolu declared, "We'll only run through it once, so just humor me here."

Crystal gave a short sigh before nodding her head. She pulled their bags together, setting them side by side and flipping their pouches open. "Okay, go."

"Emergency rope."

"Check."

"Potions and full heals?"

"Both are a check."

"Packed lunches, berries and power seeds."

"Check. Check. And check."

"Oh! And let's not forget the most important thing: lil' travel buddies!" Emizella wrapped an arm around Crystal's neck, pulling her in and pointing a digit towards her body.

She took a second to register that spontaneously added item to their checklist but, once it sunk in that she was talking about her, she couldn't keep the soft, sheepish laugh from bubbling free. "Check."

"And I'm here too so it's a check for me." she pointed back towards herself and chuckled before loosening her grip and moving to fasten their bags closed. "Great, looks like we got everything." she said with a soft hum, her tail wagging happily behind her.

Crystal giggled softly, "With your excitement, I would think this was your first time."

"Well, it's my first time going with a friend, so I can't help myself." she laughed along with her, but a little quieter. _Was there a twinge of sadness too?_ "Everyone is usually too busy, so I've always had to go by myself. That's why…" she pulled her bag over her shoulders, flashing a big, toothy grin that concealed any hints of loneliness that her words might have conveyed, "I'm really happy you said you wanted to come with me."

Her figure against the rising day, body silhouetted against the dawning light, shined with a radiance unlike any mortal being. It honestly felt unfair how she could leave Crystal so speechless, as if she were choking on her own tongue, and still be oblivious to her super-effective smile.

"Alright," Crystal jumped a little at Emizella's booming voice, "That's enough with the mush. Let's get on with the mush!"

She pointed towards the light on the horizon, her usual zeal swinging at full force once more. She marched herself forward, leading the way with the only indication that her companion was following behind being the soft sounds her paws made when hitting the ground.

Making their way through the forest, lazily waking to meet the new day with sluggish bodies and heavy heads, Crystal could see why Emizella always preferred to start her day so early in the morning…besides hiding her sleep habits. There was a certain peace in the air special to this kind of time, not quite awake but not quite asleep either. A soft in-between with its gentle hues and tender colors.

Every so often, she'd look up to see where the sun had moved to. It was the best estimate she had for gauging how far they'd traveled and how long they'd walk. It'd always be a little higher than the last, inching higher and higher into the sky until she could see the full circumference of the blazing sphere.

Where were they going anyway? A question she probably should have asked before they took their first steps, but she didn't feel it right to weigh down the new experience with too many details. She trusted Emizella enough to believe she wouldn't take her anywhere too dangerous or too far out of her level. Besides, it felt good to enjoy the ride for what it was rather than concerning herself about the destination. A carefree sentiment for the young fennekin's day off.

Crystal looked up again, the sun was even further away from the tree line.

"Not much further now," Emizella told her, pausing at a stream and eyeing the steppingstones protruding out of its surface. "You see that cliffside over there?"

Crystal followed the digit Emizella had pointed outward into the distance. Her eyes landed on the elevated plane and its rocky edge, "Yeah?"

"Well, there's an old miner's cave there, just past this stream. It's pretty much dug up at this point but that doesn't stop some ambitious few from trying their luck in the tunnels. It can be easy to get yourself lost in there so we oughta stick close together."

"Have you gotten lost in there before?"

Emizella laughed, "It's not getting lost if you're exploring. It's call discovering new, uncharted land." _How many times did she get lost to come up with that one?_ "Anyways, I know the tunnels pretty well so as long as we don't get separated, we should be good."

She at least sounded like she knew what she was talking about, her confidence rolling off her body and keeping Crystal grounded. She gave a quick nod and Emizella was happy to take it as her consent to follow her advice.

A hop across the stones and a skip through the woods and the two found themselves staring into the gaping maw of the old cave. There was a sign by its entrance, a warning.

"CAUTION: Due to old age and a lack of regular maintenance, parts of Diggersby Mine's infrastructure have weakened and become unstable. Proceed at your own risk."

"Huh… that wasn't there before…" Emizella muttered, leaning in closer to read the new addition.

"Should we turn back?"

Emizella looked back over her shoulder at Crystal before waving off the concern. "Nah. I know rock smash so if we run into any trouble I can get us out no problem."

Crystal raised a weary brow. "You're sure about that?"

"Positive." Emizella smiled with a nod of her head, "Trust me, if I thought we couldn't handle it, I'd be the first to say we try someplace else. We've got this."

Her words echoed once more in Crystal's head, a warm reverberating sound that pulsed against her heart and filled her stomach with the riolu's shared courage. For a moment, despite her lack of experience, despite her lack of training to match, she felt strong. Strong enough to push past her nagging worries and strong enough to continue on by Emizella's side.

"Alright." she nodded her head, "I'll be counting on you then."

"Awesome!" Emizella cheered, "Let's get inside before we lose the daylight." she said, pointing into the cave and proceeding to lead them inside.

As they ventured further and further into the tunneling cavern, beyond where the sun's rays could reach them, Crystal noticed clusters of glittering stones that reflected a spectrum of colors when hit by the hanging lanterns that illuminated their path. A rainbow of colors danced in the light, pressing their warm glow against the dull stone and adding a bit of flashy fun to the otherwise plain cave walls.

"Hey, Emi." Crystal called her, trotting up to her side when she noticed her staring had caused her to lag behind.

"Yep?"

"You said this place had been dug up a while ago, didn't you?"

"Mmhm."

"What's up with all the shiny rocks, then? Why'd the miners leave these behind?"

Instantly, a burst of laughter exploded from Emizella's mouth, the sound echoing far into the distance and lingering long after her voice had died down to a chuckle. "Sorry," she apologized, her sudden outburst putting the fennekin into a startled state, "it's just you asked the same thing I did when I first came here. I thought they were jewels so I took up as much as I could carry just to be told that they're all practically worthless. Just a bunch of glorified rocks." she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Crystal's eyes looked up to the walls again, staring at the stones and watching their lights twinkle and shimmer against the walls. "But they're still so pretty…" she said, her voice a soft, whispering dream.

"Yeah, can't argue with you there… Hey Crystal, what's your favorite color?"

"My favorite color?" she repeated the question, taking the second to consider her answer, "Purple, I guess."

"Purple, huh?" Emizella echoed, her voice trailing into silence as her eyes concentrated on the stones, searching between their colors.

She locked her gaze on a small cluster that held a couple of cool hues in its bundle, approaching it while cracking at her knuckles. She reared her fist back, a collection of red, hot energy pooling in her clenched hand. A single swing into the cluster, sharp and fast, and the collection of glittering stones was reduced to a pile of twinkling pebbles. She looked proud of her demonstration while Crystal stared at her with a perplexed knot in her brow.

Emizella shook away the small bits that dusted her paw before kneeling down and shifting through the pile. A particular piece was pulled out, reminiscent of an amethyst jewel, and carried over to the waiting fox.

"Here you go." Emizella handed over the stone, letting Crystal take it into her paws.

"For me?" she asked, staring into its shimmering surface with twinkling eyes to match.

"Yeah. They might not hold any marketplace value, but they make an awesome souvenir for our first adventure together, don't they?" she asked, a soft, delighted chuckle rolling up from her chest.

Crystal stared up at Emizella's plastered smile. A natural, radiant thing that just begged her to keep its bright streak going. "Yeah, it really does. Thank you, Emi. I'll treasure this." she said, putting the stone away before she could have a chance to lose it.

Emizella's smile widened, looking just about ready to burst at the seams. "Aw man! Now I've gone and talked myself into it too. I'm gunna go grab myself one real quick."

Crystal watched the riolu busy herself with finding a cluster of her own favorites, gravitating towards the warming shades and their sunny dispositions. She couldn't imagine that Emizella felt this excited about these glittering stones since the first time she dived into these tunnels. They might not be "treasures" by a genuine appraiser's definition, but one little change to her norm and suddenly the childish whimsy was back in her eyes.

If she could make her adventures feel like new again, if she could make them special and even more exciting than the first… that didn't seem like such a bad way to spend her time.

Then, there was a distant buzzing that came into Crystal's ears like static, distracting her train of thought. She listened to it closely, hearing it steadily get louder and closer. Claws breaking through stone. A body swimming through rubble. _Is it passing? No, this way, it's coming this way. Towards_-

"Emi, look out!" she shouted just before the crumbling sounds could burst free from the walls.

Immediately, Emizella's body jumped back from the cluster of glittering stones, narrowly avoiding a set of large, metallic claws drilling mere inches from her face. The new body spun itself out of the hole left by his digging, his arms spreading apart to reveal the drilbur hiding behind the formation.

"Nice save there." Emizella breathed a short sigh of relief, nearly losing her nose had she stepped back a second too late. "Hey buddy! You mind watching where you're drilling? Nearly lobbed my head off."

The mole paid her no mind, simply busying himself with shifting through the broken pieces and searching through them for the biggest and shiniest ones.

"Geez," Emizella grumbled, rolling her eyes at the blatant rudeness on display before blowing it off. Some pokemon just be like that sometimes. However, when she tried to move past it and grab for one of the shattered fragments lying by his feet, his large claws intercepted her hand, forcing her back as he dug into the cave floor.

"Beat it, kid. There's nothing here for you." he said with a glaring gleam in his eyes.

Crystal felt her heart leap into her throat, choking her for the second it took to swallow it back down. _Did he seriously try taking a hand for rocks?_ "Excuse me, sir… but isn't that a bit of an over-reaction?" she asked, the drilbur regarding her with a shift of his glaring eyes. She felt her body shiver, her words faltering and stumbling over her tongue, "I mean… there's plenty to go around, right? We can be civil, can't we?"

"Hmph, spoken like a true, naïve brat." he huffed, "You can't fool these eyes, I know a good gem when I see it. Punks like you who don't know what they're talking about shouldn't be wasting the air in here. Beat it." he waved a claw at them dismissively before turning back to his horde of "treasure."

Crystal watched him silently, unable to decide if she should feel disheartened by his rude comments or concerned that he was so certain that he was shifting through valuable jewels. Should she bother saying something to him? Would he even listen? But she had to try, right?

"Um, sir-"

But, before she could begin to try and straight this drilbur's assumptions, a hand raised in front of her, stopping her with its sudden appearance.

"Don't bother, Crystal." Emizella told her, glancing back at her while something soft whispered in her eyes. "Guess there's no fooling a pro, huh?"

He huffed again.

"Forget him. C'mon, I know where there are nicer ones deeper down." she told her, his shifting gaze not going unnoticed as she led Crystal further down.

Crystal's eyes didn't dare move from his stilled figure, a weary feeling welling up in her head with each hesitant step that followed Emizella's easy swagger. This wouldn't be so easy; Crystal knew that for certain and knew Emizella was counting on it.

The moment he was pushed into her blind spot, the moment where they had moved too far ahead to keep him in sight, a metallic whirring sound charged at them from behind, fast and deadly. Crystal's body reacted faster than her mind, tiny paws leaping her close to the rocky ceiling just before the drill's tip could touch her tail furs. She felt the breeze tickle her stomach, a chilling sensation that made her blood buzz with adrenaline.

Emizella turned to face him, catching the attack with her hands and gritting her teeth under the burning friction that grinded against her palms. Despite the discomfort, she still found it in herself to smile at his slowing rotation. "Really? You're going to make it that easy?" she asked, rearing a hand back and letting it glow with a vengeful fury before sending the fist into his softened body.

He flew back into the small rubble pile, sliding his head back into the wall. For all his talk and poisonous tongue lashings, Crystal was surprised to find him knocked out in a scattered heap of his own "treasures."

"Hmph, what an ass…" Emizella stated, looking towards him with an annoyed scowl pushing down on her brows.

Crystal caught her rubbing at her hands, noticing the bit of red seeping into her blue fur. "Emi, you're bleeding!" she exclaimed, trotting closer to get a better look at the injury.

She waved her off, "Yeah, that's what happens when you catch a drill run like that with your bare hands." she said as casually as anyone who'd experienced this on more than one occasion. "I'll bandage it up in a second, I'm just going to grab one first." she pointed towards the sparkling pebbles, walking closer to the downed drilbur and picking out a nice, glossy orange piece that shined like it held the setting sun deep beneath its smooth surface.

She held it up with pride, smiling at the small prize. "There, now we both have a piece to take home." she chuckled, dropping it into her own bag before proceeding onward.

"Wait," Crystal came up to her side, "let me help bandage you up first."

"Huh? It's just a couple of scratches, though. I can take care of it myself."

She pouted, that simply just would not do. "What's the point of having a travel buddy if I can't even do this much?" she asked, a stubborn furrow squeezing her face.

It honestly did little to make her intimidating but Emizella would never tell her that. "Guess you got a point there." she shrugged, "Let's get a little further from that guy, though. Just in case he wakes up."

Crystal's face relaxed, her eyes brightening and her breath catching with an ecstatic hitch. She nodded her head, tail waving happily as she stepped with a hurried pace to reach a suitable place for the pair to settle down.


	8. Chapter 8

The soft spritzing from the potion bottle sounded calming to Crystal's ears. A gentle sound of healing that could only be heard by the two of them in this long, dim tunnel. "_Not too much_," she could practically hear the nurse's soft whispering voice speaking to her, "_a little goes a long way_."

"Guess helping Blaire out has its perks, huh?" Emizella asked, her eyes staring down at the small paws starting to work the bandages around her wounds.

A soft chuckle blew past Crystal's lips, "It's just the basics, but I'm glad I can be useful for something."

"Hey, you own that healing touch." Emizella said, playfully stern with a small pout on her lips.

Crystal breathed out a short laugh, her mind much too focused to put more into it but she appreciated her humor, nonetheless. Her touch was light and tender, wrapping the bandages just tight enough to protect her hands during her healing but not too tight as to cut the area off from the rest of her body. "Aaand done." she finished tying the knot with a nod of her head, "How does that feel?"

Emizella took her hands back, giving her digits a few testing clenches and feeling out the balling of her fists before grinning at the fennekin. "Awesome! Couldn't have done it better myself."

Crystal nodded her head happily, grateful that her dabbling into first aid care was proving to be this convenient outside of the nurse's medical hut. She placed the potion and the extra bandages back into her bag, settling the flap over the top and slipped it back on. "Well, ready to get moving?" she asked.

Emizella's eyes blinked back their surprised stutter, "You want to keep going?" she asked, her breath sounding light and fainting.

For a moment, Crystal wondered if her words were a bit too much of a shock before her ponderings were substituted with soft, revitalizing giggles. "I mean, we only just started. And you still have shinier things to show me, don't you?"

That was a bluff, of course, but Emizella was happy to take the excuse. "Yeah! Yeah, of course!" she declared, hopping to her feet with an extra burst of pep. "Let's go this way next." she said, pointing towards a forking pathway just up ahead and leading their pair forward.

They traveled deeper and deeper, down branching path after branching path. It wasn't as solitary of an expedition as Crystal would have figured given the warning sign out front. A great number of cave dwellers still found it a suitable place to get things done. A boldore and roggenrola pair collected stones for costume jewelry and accessories. A woobat trying her best to get stronger and asking anyone she met if they would accept her challenge. Emizella agreed, of course. And a golbat searching for something his little brother lost the last time they were playing in the caves.

Through all their small encounters and little trinkets they found here and there, Crystal couldn't put any of them as stressful or as irksome as that drilbur. Granted, there was always a special level of "eccentric" everywhere, but such an outlier in this place seemed kind of… odd.

"You doing okay back there?" Emizella asked, apple in hand and munching away the peckish feeling edging itself in her stomach.

"I was just thinking… back when that drilbur was insisting that those were precious gems,"

Emizella let a soft groan slip past her, "You really shouldn't be giving a guy like that the satisfaction of even an ounce of brainpower."

"I know, but I was wondering… everyone- well, most of everyone, should know that those stones aren't as valuable as rubies or sapphires. But he was so adamant that he knew what he was talking about. It's strange, isn't it? For someone to be so convinced of something despite what everyone else knows for a fact."

"Can't help stupid, sometimes." Emizella shrugged, "Let's just be grateful that he was a special case."

_A special case_, Crystal repeated, _Yeah, just an unlucky special case. At least everyone else has been pleasant_.

"Yeah… guess you have a point there." she muttered, snuffing out the soft, nagging feeling knocking at the back of her head. "You think that golbat found what he was looking for by now?"

"Possibly," Emizella said with a short chuckle, "but things have a tendency to move around in this place. You drop something in one chamber and it ends up in a hallway on the other side of the mine."

"Guess he's got his work cut out for him."

Abruptly, Crystal's steps stilled at the mouth of a dark chasm that echoed with life and laughter. Her eyes narrowed in on the sound, a gathering of sorts with five… maybe six separate voices. _What could be going on down there?_

"Hey Emi," she called the riolu to stop with her, "What's down there?"

"That place?" Emizella hummed, her eyes closing as she mused over the mine's layout she had internalized in her mind. "I'm pretty sure that's a dead end… Oh, wait! Actually, I think this leads to a luminescent chamber. The stones down there have a strong glow to them that- You know what, it might just be better to show you. C'mon!"

"You sure that's alright?" Crystal asked, her eyes following Emizella's steadily darkening figure, "It sounds like there's some kind of party going on down there."

"Even better!"

Crystal danced on her toes, turning with frantic hesitation and debating whether she should proceed on or insist they go some other way. But every second she wasted was another step further Emizella took. Running out of time. No time. No time!

Blindly, she ran forward into the shrouding black of the chasm's maw. "Wait for me!" she cried, running past where the lanterns' light could reach until she bumped into something hard, solid and familiar. "…sorry."

"No harm done." Emizella's voice spoke through the inky black air, giving Crystal something to fix herself against as she clung to her side.

They walked close together, or rather Crystal refused to give Emizella even an inch of space. She had to cling close, it was a matter of necessity. If she let her have that inch, if she allowed even a sliver of space, then she felt like the darkness would gobble her up. A bit childish, possibly, but not an impossibility.

At least Emizella wouldn't say anything if she thought it an improbable fear. She just continued to walk on, guiding her through the tunnel with a gentle hand resting on her head to satisfy her need for the unbreaking proximity.

The black monotone began to break just up ahead, a soft glow radiating at the tunnel's edge. "You can see it now, right?" Emizella whispered, the outline of her figure pointing forward and slowly starting to regain shape.

She could see something. And the voices were getting clearer the closer they got. There was definitely a little get-together going on, and they were quite the lively bunch. Through their thunderous laughter, she could make out bits and pieces of what they were saying.

"… believe…bought it…"

"…asshole."

"Probably…like a jackass…"

_Now why did they sound so familiar?_ Her legs carried her forward, her body inching closer to that beckoning light. More and more until she could fully appreciate the powerful, luminescent glow of the jutting stones piercing through the cave walls, drawn into its alluring trap where five crouching silhouettes occupied the glowing space.

Zangooses.

"Huh? Who let you guys in?" Their laughter stopped, their conversation redirected and all attention was focused in on the two of them. "Dude! you were supposed to be watching the door!"

"Watching what? It's pitch-black out there!"

"Whatever, just get rid of them,"

"It's fine!" Emizella spoke up quickly, wrapping an around Crystal's stomach and lifting her up like a sack of rice, "We'll just get rid of ourselves. Sorry to bother you."

She attempted to leave with her, turning on her toes and taking one step back into the black. If only she had been a second faster, even a millisecond on point, then she wouldn't be feeling the hand pressing down on her head nor would she be seeing the long, sharp claws dangling right in front of her eyes.

"Hang on… Axel, don't you think these two look a bit familiar?" he asked, turning Emizella's head and forcing her to eye the gang's leader.

"Hm?" he raised a curious brow, standing up from his crouched position and stalking closer to them. "Oh yeah… the little fennekin and her bratty friend." he said in a sing-song tone, happy for all the wrong reasons. "First you ram into me and now you're crashing my parties? Man, what am I supposed to do with you?"

He reached a hand out to Crystal, the movement feeling painfully slow to her eyes. The memory raced through her head, bringing with it panic and petrifying fear.

"Don't touch her!" Emizella shouted, ducking and shoving their long claws out of her face, her body turning to shield away the trembling body still clasped tightly in her arms.

"Oh? You wanna go first then, is that it? Fine, let's see if we can't break that heroic spirit of yours." He nodded his head towards the others, a menacing smirk playing on his lips with all the devious intent he could cook up in his eyes.

Emizella's grip tightened, "Listen, you'll have to make a run for it. I'll hold them off here." she whispered.

Crystal's ear flickered, a chill filling their veins from the tip and down into her head. _She couldn't mean that, could she?_ But she did. The way her eyes glowed in the dim light, scowling and gritting and bracing her nerves for the consequences her actions were bound to carry, she meant it with every fiber of her being.

"Now! Run, Crystal!" she shouted, tossing the small body back into the dark tunnel.

"Don't let her get away!"

Crystal could hear them scrambling behind her, pained grunts and thudding blows. Bodies hitting stones and claws slashing mercilessly through the air. And Emizella's voice imploring her to run.

She ran. With stinging eyes and a loud ringing in her head, she ran forward through the pitch-black.

_Coward_, she called herself, swallowing back the lump clogging her throat. _Am I really so weak? Am I so powerless that all I can do is run away?_

She panted harder, suffocating in the dark alone. She felt her legs slow to a stop, her sobs tearing away at her chest and ripping apart her wretched body. An agonizing pain filled her head, pumping itself through her body and consuming her heart with an unbearable ache.

She couldn't do it. As she turned on her heels and sprinted through the darkness, she knew she couldn't make it to the end without Emizella.

Crystal raced back to the glow, back to the riolu's staggering figure. She could see one of the zangooses' silhouette move in to finish her off, her heart skyrocketing into her ears. Was she going to make it? No, it was too far for her legs to close the distance on their own. She needed something with reach, something that could distract them long enough for her to get there.

She pursed her lips, building up the blazing heat in her chest before letting the flickering embers fly. They weren't hot enough to fly far, but they were bright enough to gain his attention for just a second.

"What the… holy shit, she actually came back." Axel whistled, sounding almost impressed behind his sarcastic veil.

Crystal jumped in front of Emizella's body, her teeth clenching and a growl rolling in her throat.

"Aw, that's cute. You think you're a threat." he chuckled, cueing his boys to laugh with him.

"Crystal… you were supposed to get out of here…" Emizella muttered, her body already battered and cut. Nevermind the small scratches on her palms, a zangooses' claws were no joke. And a gang of them against one riolu… yeah, there was definitely going to be blood.

Crystal gritted her teeth at the sight, trying to still the quivering in her limbs but finding it more and more useless the harder she tried. She wanted to cry. No, she was definitely crying, but she couldn't move from Emizella's side, her fur standing on edge as she grabbed onto whatever shred of bravery she had in her tiny body.

"Ooh, scary." Axel mocked, "C'mon then. Come at me."

"Crystal, please, just run." Emizella begged, her voice breaking in her distress.

"Emi!" Crystal barked, "If I could run… don't you think I would? I'm so scared right now it feels like my legs are about to give out right under me… I should run, right? But I can't. My body won't allow me to run away… Not without you."

She looked to Emizella's eyes, watching them glitter and shine with her unshed tears. A look of fear and despair. _So even she can make that kind of face_.

"It's okay," Crystal whispered, her voice dipping into silence in her soft tone, "what are travel buddies for, right?"

She tried her best to smile, feeling the edges of her lips turn up but their line trembling and shaking uncontrollably. She couldn't say how much she believed in her own words, but she had to make them a reality. It'll be okay. _They'll_ be okay.

"Enough with the sap! Let's see what you're made of!" Axel's voice echoed, his claws raising up to slash at her body.

She let the fire build in her chest again, letting out her flurry of scattering flames at his body. He braced for their scorching touch, letting them land on his arms without paying them mind.

"You think that's going to work a second time?!" he shouted, claws slicing through the air and making contact with the side of Crystal's face.

Her body was sent flying like a ragdoll, hitting the cave wall and falling limp to the ground.

"Crystal!" she heard Emizella crying through her haze, a short scuffle knocking the air out of her body while claws scraped against the ground.

"Ha! I knew she was nothing but a little weakling." Axel laughed, the sound pounding on her head worst than the leaky feeling trickling down her cheek. "Too bad she won't get to watch us rip her friend apart."

"Bastards…" Emizella coughed, breathless growls rolling from her pinned body.

"Don't worry, you'll be joining her in a second."

Crystal gritted her teeth, her bones screaming at her to stay still, to stay down. Fighting felt so painful, but to give up now, to fall here, was even more agonizing. "No…" she muttered, pulling her legs under her body and pushing herself up. "I'm not done yet…"

Axel turned to look at her, his smirk widening with mirth and amusement. He beckoned her to try again, claws raised to show how worthless her attempts were. She could see it in his eyes, how he was loving the chance to put her down again and again. It was playing into his game to try again, and yet, she built up that heat, tasted the flames burning touch at the back of her tongue and spat it towards the approaching zangoose.

He flicked off her burning embers, laughing at the pathetic display. It was pathetic, Crystal could agree with that much. _Hotter_, she continued to let them out, _even hotter, even brighter._

She closed her mouth again, taking in a deep breath and working the inferno in her stomach harder than she ever thought this body of hers could manage. An intense spice broke out over her tongue, soft flickers slipping from her closed lips before she bellowed it all out.

A spiraling flame roared from her mouth, filling the room with her colors as it flew towards the zangoose.

"What?!" he managed just before his body was wrapped in a flaming vortex of her own design, shouting in pain at her fire's searing touch that consumed every inch of his body.

"Boss!" one of his boys called out, attempting to break him out only to burn his hand in the raging inferno.

"What the hell... Since when could that brat use fire spin?" another muttered, voice soft in utter disbelief.

Crystal couldn't stop yet, her body charging towards the two that kept Emizella's body pinned against the stone floor. The air around her ignited, surrounding her body in a heated ball of fire. She launched herself like a flaming cannonball, crashing her body into the zangoose's head and sending him tumbling back.

His partner's jaw dropped, eyes trembling and struggling to decide whether to believe what his vision was telling him or count these witnessed events as his own delusion. Was this tiny fennekin, this quivering little ball of fluff, really turning the tables on his crew?

His hesitant grip lightened the pressure on Emizella's back, giving her just the inch she needed to push him off. Her fist glowed, white and hot, and rocketed towards his jaw. His teeth clattered, connecting in a bone-cracking clench. A hand went to cover his mouth, a muffled screech adding to the panicked symphony filling the tight space.

Crystal checked back, seeing Emizella stand back to her feet. "Emi!" she called her name, leaping to her side and catching her stumbling body.

"I'll be fine… but we gotta get out of here." Emizella said, shaking out the nerves making her legs wiggle like gelatin.

She nodded her head, there was no need to tell her twice. She wasn't sure how fast those shaken legs of hers could carry her, but it was better than leaving her behind by far. Besides, it wasn't like her own body was much better either.

While the gang of zangooses were distracted tending to their sudden surge of casualties, the two hurried their way back through the tunnel. Biting back the aching in her paws and the pulsing headache at the back of her head, Crystal ran through the black pathway. She could vaguely hear her flames dying down behind her, a shout from Axel's voice screaming at the others to follow after them. If they weren't mad at them before, then they were definitely furious now. They were talking personal vendettas for nine generations kind of mad.

"They're getting closer…" Emizella panted, "Crystal, keep going to the end. I have an idea."

"Emi… I swear if you're trying to pull another self-sacrificing stunt…"

"I'm not! Trust me,"

_Curse her trust me's_, Crystal internally cried, her rational mind melting away to blindly follow her lead. "Fine!" she yielded, pushing her legs harder and feeling Emizella's presence lingering behind.

Her ears focused on the sounds behind her. Scraping claws, a steadying breath, and then an earth-shattering break that made the cave quake under the sudden blow. The tunnel rumbled, small stones breaking off from above one after another before the falling debris grew heavier and louder. Silence followed after just a second.

Crystal made her way back into the lantern filled hall, halting the second she made it under its warm glow. Her eyes turned back, searching through that stilled chasm. She choked down her pants, trying to swallow down her frantic breathing so that she could hear over the internal screaming of her own organs. It was all too loud; she couldn't hear a thing despite how she desperately willed her ears to focus.

"Emi?" she called, her voice breaking while her tail tucked itself close to her legs.

Her ears lowered on her head, hopeless despair washing over her eyes and darkening their sunny glow. _After all that… was I still not strong enough?_ She laid her stomach flat on the ground, her paws folding over her muzzle and hiding her crying eyes.

Her eyes gave up seeing. Her ears gave up listening. They could not see the limping figure making her way over to her sobbing body. Nor could they hear the soft, breathless chuckle that pushed itself from her nose.

"What are you crying for?" she asked, pressing a paw to her head and stroking the space between her ears. Crystal sniffled, her head shooting back and seeing Emizella's smile through her foggy gaze. "We made it out in one piece. Shouldn't you be smiling?"

"Emi… you're…"

"Heh, you think I'd be stupid enough to get buried under my own cave-in?" she asked, "Please, give me _some_ credit."

Even though Crystal knew Emizella was hurt, even though she knew they were both hurt, she couldn't stop herself from pouncing at the riolu's body, taking them both down. She heard a stinging hiss escape from her clenched teeth, but her face was too busy burying her nose into her chest to care. Consider it as punishment, she figured as she continued to cry into her fur.

Emizella accepted it, holding her closer and letting their shivering, aching bodies comfort one another with a warmth that shouted, "They were alive."

~uwu~

"Emi?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking… when you become an adventurer, will you have to fight bad pokemon like that?"

Emizella looked down at her, the glow in her eyes flickering with hesitation. Her lips opened, taking a moment to suck in a breath before cautiously letting her answer flow out into the air.

"Sometimes I'll have to… It's all part of the job, you know?" She tried to wipe away the dimmed tone of her eyes with a smile, but her face felt much too tired to keep up a façade.

Crystal's lips pursed together, keeping up the rhythm of her breaths and counting the beats echoing in her head. "By yourself?" she asked, her voice soft and small.

"If I have to, then I will." she said sternly, her voice steady as if she had rehearsed that one line over and over again.

Crystal's eyes searched the ground, searched the leaves and searched the stones for the resolve to keep talking. To talk this train into its final destination and give the growing aspiration in her heart a voice.

"What if…" she fixed her cracking voice, "What if you didn't have to do it alone? Would it- Would _I_ be a bother…if I wanted to come with you?"

Emizella stopped, "What?"

Crystal stopped herself as well, turning and looking into Emizella's vacant gaze that debated whether her words were real or if she had hit her head too hard back in the mines. "I want to go with you. I want to be an adventurer too and fight by your side. I want to be braver. I want to get stronger. So, the next time you have to fight and the time after that, we'll have each other." She gave Emizella a chance to respond, to criticize her if she was being stupid or yell at her for wanting to put herself in even more danger. But she didn't, only staring at her like she grew a second head. "Or… maybe that's too impossible, huh?" she asked, her gaze shying away. _Yeah, I'd just be a lost cause if I tried…_

"No!" Emizella exclaimed, her hands clenching into tight fists by her side, "No, it's not impossible at all. I just didn't think… I always thought one day this would all be over. That you'd find your own way and I would have to go mine. But you…you really want to be an adventurer with me?"

Crystal didn't think she could cry anymore today but hearing something so heartbreaking and lonesome was testing her limits. She swallowed back the stinging feeling poking her eyes and wringing her throat. "I mean…I have a lot of catching up to do to if I want to stand by your side, but I'll try my best." she said. The smile on her lips was nervous, maybe even a little scared of the high bar she just set her sights on, but there was no denying that the words leaving them were genuine and true.

"Then, let's work hard together, partner." Emizella held out a hand to her.

Even though the sun had already set and the day was long since done, the smile Emizella showed off to her managed to start a new dawn in Crystal's eyes. Silently, it whispered to her heart that she was making the right decision. That this was where she was meant to be.

"Yeah," she breathed a relieved sigh, raising a paw and resting it in Emizella's.

Another promise made, another vow to keep.


	9. Chapter 9

"I… don't think I've ever heard Blaire get that loud…" Crystal muttered, shaking in her bed with medical bandages wrapped around her chest.

Apparently, hitting a solid surface like a ragdoll being thrown in a childish tantrum made her liable for a couple of broken ribs. She was lucky to get away with two but that's as far as her luck would take her.

"I thought she was going to break something else…" she said, tucking her tail between her legs. She didn't think a nurse could be so scary, probably even scarier than the zangooses.

"That's just her way of showing she cares." Emizella laughed before immediately regretting her mistake. She was wrapped from head to tail, made completely immobile with excessive care. Well, excessive to her but just right for the nurses to keep her restless self in bed.

"I oughta show you how much I care too." Lillian warned her, an ominous air bleeding into her cheery disposition. Her smile spoke of murderous intent while her grinning eyes promised a beating worse than anything Axel and his crew could ever dish out.

"C-C'mon, Lily, haven't I been punished enough?" Emizella stammered with no carefree chuckle in sight.

"Don't be mad at Emi, I'm the one that went back for her. My own injuries are my own responsibility." Crystal spoke up as loud as her injury would let her.

Lillian looked over at her and sighed, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry, Emi. You're probably beating yourself up more about this than any of us."

Emizella waved off the concern with little turns of her wrist, "It's all good. If anything, it just makes me want to work harder and get even stronger!" she declared, taking a moment to get over how unnatural it felts to be unable to put any more emotion into her declaration without hurting herself. These were going to be a painful few weeks in more ways than one.

"Of course that's what you're focused on." Lillian said with a sigh and a shake of her head.

Crystal just let out a small, soft laugh, "At least it's a silver lining." _Enough silver lining for the both of us._

There was a rustle at the entryway, a new body stepping inside and approaching their little group with small scratches scrapping at the floor with each step. "Alright, I dropped your stuff off at your little base or whatever." Jezebel announced, making herself comfortable in the seat next to Lillian.

"Thanks a bunch." Emizella smiled, "Blaire said we'd be stuck here for a good while so I'd rather have our loot at home."

"Seriously, don't mention it." she held up a paw to stop her, speaking literally when she asked to not mention the small favor. Her paw fell with a sigh, a troubled expression dragging down her face. "How troublesome… Who am I supposed to spar with now that you've already gotten yourself banged up?"

"_That's_ what you're worried about?!" Lillian asked, turning her head in one sharp movement, "Don't you have anything else to say?"

"What am I _supposed_ to say? 'Don't get banged up next time'?" She paused, the idea sounding pretty promising now that she said it out loud, "Yeah, actually don't let yourself get this banged up again. I'm not settling for sloppy seconds." she said shamelessly, a proud look turning her lips up in a smug smirk.

"Really?" Lillian's gaze narrowed, eyeing her like a mother eyeing her mischief-making child.

Jezebel winced and quickly hid the chill tickling her fur behind squared shoulders. "I told her 'not to,' didn't I? Besides, I trust Emizella's skills. She won't let it happen again."

"I mean, the trust is appreciated, but I'm not making any promises." Emizella piped up, her voice flat and her tone dead serious.

"Hey!"

"I'll make her keep that promise." Crystal said, laying bare her intentions and the world she was ready to dive into.

Their two visitors looked at her, Lillian's eyes darkening with concern while Jezebel held more of a look of disbelief. Actually, she wasn't quite sure what to make of Crystal's unexpected announcement. This small body with her big, innocent eyes and delicate frame was planning on holding a candle to Emizella and _fight_ by her side? Those tiny paws were going to trade blows with infamous outlaws? Those tiny paws were going to traverse lands yet explored and still unknown? It was almost funny to her. Strike that, it was funny, her lips blowing out puffs of laughter and drawing attention to herself.

"You?" she asked for clarification, "I'm not trying to be mean, but you don't really strike me as someone for the adventuring business."

Crystal bit her tongue. She wasn't being blunt to be rude. She was being blunt so there were no surprises. Adventuring wasn't exactly a cushiony job and not everyone could handle its demand. Of course, that didn't change anything.

"I know I don't look like much," she could see Lillian's eyes narrowing towards Jezebel for having her "floof baby" imply as much, "but I never want to feel that useless, that _helpless_, ever again. I'll get stronger, strong enough to stand by Emizella's side and shoulder at least some of her burden." She smiled slightly, her eyes raising up to show Jezebel that she had no intentions of backing down, that the determined flame blazing away behind her sunset hue was not dying away anytime soon. "I plan to shoulder at least half, so I need to get started as soon as possible."

Jezebel stared at her, taking in her dazzling iron will before it became too much for her eyes to bear. She huffed slightly, masking the speechless spell that kept her jaw lax and loose. "Do what you gotta do," she said, the tip of her tail tapping away softly against the floor.

Crystal glanced at the small hint. Jezebel was never as sneaking or as slick as she liked to believe but no one would ever tell her that, and Crystal wasn't going to start either.

"Actually," her eyes went back up at her avoidant gaze, "I was wondering if you can help me out. With my fire-based attacks, I mean."

The request piqued Jezebel's intrigue, her peeking eyes encouraging Crystal to keep talking.

"I want to get more used to using them in battle, so I was wondering if you could give me a few pointers."

Jezebel eyed Lillian's profile, gauging the look on her face. Asking this in front of the brionne might not have been the best move to save face for the entry guard but she was bound to hear about Crystal's request sooner or later. Probably sooner in Lillian's case.

She gave a shrug, "I admire your gung-ho spirit but I'm afraid I can't help you out there." Crystal's eyes looked over towards seal pokemon, seeing her jump at the implication behind her staring eyes. "_Not_ because of Lily but because our styles are different. For you, fighting at a distance is better suited for your body while I like to get up close and personal. Our move sets don't mesh enough for me to be of help."

She hadn't considered that, too eager to get started to bother remembering that she'd do best to learn from a teacher who could relate to her types of attacks. Her ears lowered on her head, thought consuming her lowered eyes that stared into nothingness. A draw-back but she had time for those. Not like she could start tomorrow, even if she wanted to.

"Oh!" an idea pinged in Lillian's head, "Why don't you try Scarlet?"

"Scarlet?" Crystal repeated the name, her awareness of the world slowly coming back to her.

Lillian nodded, "She teaches fundamental techniques in the fire specialist's lessons. Well, usually she does but she's been taking off since her egg hatched a few weeks ago."

She tilted her head, a questioning look raising her brow, "Wouldn't I be a bother if she's taking a break right now?" she asked.

Lillian giggled at first, an idea tickling her mind but Crystal couldn't tell if it was her question that was silly or if a silly thought spawned from it. "Don't worry about it." she told her, "She's been grumbling about feeling antsy for a while now so she'd probably appreciate a change in pace. I'll tell you what, though, I'll run it past her first about volunteering some time to tutor you and get back to you on her response."

"You'd really do that?" Crystal asked, her voice dragging itself past her lips with a heavy, incredulous weight pulling it down.

"Sure!"

"Really?" Jezebel asked, leaning forward to take a look at her genuine generosity.

"Yeah."

"_Really_ really?" Emizella added with her own skeptical undertone.

"Okay, what's so hard to believe here?" she asked with a scowl in her eyes and a pout in her cheeks.

"The fact that you're encouraging her to learn how to fight?" Emizella offered.

"And that you're directly involved with getting her a coach." Jezebel continued.

"Don't get me wrong. If I could, I'd have her stay our cute little fennekin that runs around helping out the village." Lillian explained, her flippers pressed together as she dreamed her wishful thoughts.

Her eyes held a blissful twinkle, no doubt imagining Crystal's golden, fluffy blur hopping around from place to place with a helpful attitude and cheerful smile. But she sighed away her childish musings, a sober look taking over the bliss and replacing it with a reality that weighed down her eyes.

"But I can't change the fact that she's made her decision and I can't keep her from trying to get stronger. But I _can_ at least make sure she's learning from the best."

Crystal pursed her lips, her eyes dropping and her ears hanging low on her head. _Guess you can't please everyone_, she figured. While one was happy to have her by her side, another was scared to see her go. "I'm sorry. All I ever do is worry you…"

"No! No!" Lillian waved her flippers in front of her face, "It's fine, I'm saying it's fine! I'll feel even more fine if you let me hook you up with an awesome teacher so leave it to me, okay?" she exclaimed, her upbeat tone pulling Crystal's eyes back up to see the smile gestured to by a flipper.

She studied it, filed away its shape into her memories. Lillian was always smiling, but each smile meant something different. This one, the smile she shone in Crystal's eyes, had a peculiar shape: resigned yet optimistic. There was no preventing the inevitable but it was more than simply grinning and bearing through consequences. The grin was there but she wasn't bearing anything, not when she had the power to give a helping hand any way she could.

The look helped to uplift the small fennekin, pulling her heart from the murky sea of guilt and doubt and assuring her that she was making the right decision in the path she had chosen to take.

Crystal returned the smile, soft and grateful and overjoyed to have a friend in her. "Thank you." she said, two simple words but they were more than enough.

~uwu~

Several weeks of enforced rest and plenty of "tender love and care" from their nurse left Crystal beaming with revitalized energy and the need to shake off the buzz of boredom that settled into her bones. It felt so good to be up and out of that bed with the freedom to stretch her legs as much as she wanted. She'd completely relish in it if it wasn't for her friend who still laid in her own bed.

Emizella did end up taking much of the brunt of the zangooses' assault, of course her wounds would take longer. But that didn't keep her from grumbling, seeing Crystal get discharged ahead of her.

"I swear I'll come visit every day, so don't go dying of boredom while I'm gone." she told her, turning her head back as she stood at the door.

"I make no promises." the riolu sulked with a pout permeating her lips.

It was only for a couple of weeks longer but that didn't keep Crystal from feeling the twinge of sympathy pulling at her chest. This was why she needed to get stronger. She let the image burn itself into her heart, a nice little reminder of who she was doing this for. _It's going to be tough, and it's going to hurt, but it'll be worth it._

She ran through the village at a light jog, hoping to meet her teacher before she went back to their base. Lillian had told her immediately that Scarlet would be more than happy to oversee her lessons, leaving her with a rambunctious imagination that wouldn't stop playing with the possibilities. Maybe she'd teach her a new move. Or maybe she'd teach her how to erupt an even hotter flame. Her fur has been standing on edge for days just thinking about it and now it was finally coming true.

Crystal stopped at the dwelling at the end of the beaten trail, standing just a bit taller and just a little wider than its neighbor. There was a commotion going on from inside, making her question if she should be bothering her prospective instructor on such short notice. She stared at the door, eyeing the spot where she ought to knock, but it felt like there was something in her paws keeping them grounded. Like the tips of her toes were being weighed down by the tiniest drop of lead—just enough to feel like she could lift her arm if she wanted to, but it would be so much more work than necessary.

She swallowed, _C'mon, at least introduce yourself! _

Her paw lifted up, hitting the door quickly before backing away slightly. It felt like more of an accomplishment than it should, but she was sure the anxious feeling would go away with time. The noises from the other side of the door died down a bit, a demand for silence killing the energetic ruckus and allowing its source to answer the door.

"Hello? Who is it?" a ninetales stepped out, blank eyes staring forward, unmoving and unresponsive.

"Oh, um," Crystal's voice got her attention to turn downwards, "I'm Crystal, Lillian told me there was a Scarlet living here?"

"Aah, you're the one she was telling me about." she smiled, "Yes, you have the right place. I'm Scarlet, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

Crystal didn't notice it when she first opened the door, but at this angle, she could perfectly see the dull shade of grey that covered her eyes in an unfeeling hue. The kind, welcoming smile that curled her lips didn't quite reach her unblinking gaze that continued to stare on into nothingness.

"You're blind?" the comment slipped free before she realized the words were even sitting on her tongue. _Crap…_

But Scarlet didn't take offense to the mindless statement, finding it more amusing while laughing softly at what she could only assume is Crystal's awkward discomfort. "That's right, she did say you were new." she said between her giggles, "Don't worry about it. I was born blind so I've heard it all. Trust me, it's far from the worst."

It did help her feel a little better about her minor blunder, but it also got her curious about what the worst was. _Best not to ask_, she figured.

"Why don't you come inside? I'd like to get to know you a little better before we start." she said, nodding her head towards her home and turning to lead her guest inside.

Crystal gave a short nod before blurting out, "Yes! Sure, that's fine."

She followed behind, treading past wooden toys and stuffed dolls. Some newer than others but all affectionately worn. Despite the scattered mess of children playthings that littered her floor, Scarlet's feet gracefully navigated through the chaos, her tails pushing them aside to clear a path for Crystal's more petite frame.

"Forgive the mess. I promise it's usually not this atrocious. But my children have been feeling more… let's say 'lively' since their baby sister came in."

"No, no, I'm the one that dropped by unannounced. I… kinda rushed over as soon as I was discharged."

Scarlet laughed, "An eager one, I see. That's good, motivation like that is the foundation of learning."

Her host led her into her family's dining area where the mess would not dare reach. Her paws knew where to go, maneuvering her around the chair legs and circling the table. The only part of her that touched the furniture was a tail that pulled a seat out for her guess.

"Please, have a seat." she offered with a soft nod.

Crystal obliged, hopping up to the cushioned surface and settling herself at the table. Her eyes followed the ninetales through her billowing tails, the long appendages guiding her to her own seat. More a cushion on the floor really. She supposed the chairs were more for her children to reach the tabletop than for the whole family's use.

"Comfortable?" Scarlet asked, "Chair's not too stiff for you, is it?"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine." Crystal said with a smile, hoping she could hear the gesture in her tone.

"Are you sure? It's really no problem if I-" she stopped abrupted, her ears turning towards the doorway and tuning into the distant voices growing in the other room. "Excuse me for a moment." her words came out soaked in urgency, standing up in that same moment and trotting out.

Crystal could do little more than stare towards her vanished figure, watching the ghosting presence linger behind while Scarlet rushed to meet the crescendo-ing commotion. Then, a loud thud came followed immediately by a wail that covered the air in despairing sorrow. The sequence made her body wince back into her seat, feeling her ears stand high and firm on top of her head. Scarlet's voice mixed just underneath the crying but it was hard to pick out the words that connected with her sound.

_Perhaps coming so suddenly really _wasn't_ the best idea…_

The wailing calmed down a bit. It wasn't a full-on stop but it definitely wasn't as loud as its initial start-up. Mostly sniffling and light sobbing that flipped between muffled and clear.

Scarlet stepped back into Crystal's line of sight, a small, red, fluffy bundle pressed to her chest by a tail.

"That should settle things…" Scarlet murmured under her breath, stepping back to her cushion and lowering, what Crystal suspected to be, her freshly hatched vulpix. "I'm sorry about that."

"Is… everything alright?" Crystal asked, drops of worry dewing her voice.

"Oh, it's okay. My older ones just spooked her, is all. She'll calm down soon enough." she explained, pulling the small body closer as she died down into attention-seeking whimpers, "I hope you don't mind her listening in to our conversation."

Crystal could just barely pick out the tips of the young vulpix's ears over the end of the table, pressing her paws against her mother's legs and standing on her hind legs. Even if she did mind, there was no getting her away now. "Not at all."

"Excellent," Scarlet beamed, her tails coaxing her child to hide herself into their fluffy embrace, "So then, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

_Of course… _"What do you want to know?" Crystal asked back, the safest response she could come up with on the spot.

Scarlet hummed, "Your history, mainly. Have you had any prior formal training or education in your fire abilities?"

"I haven't."

"What about any battle experiences?"

Crystal chewed at her lips, "Only a couple, but it was after they attacked first."

"So solely for self-defense?"

Her first instinct was to nod out her response before realizing the ninetales in front of her wouldn't be able to perceive that kind of answer. "Yes,"

She hummed again, the few tidbits of information working a web of thoughts behind her grey eyes. Something was being woven in that infinite gaze and it was making the nerves in Crystal's stomach twist and turn with unease.

"If you don't mind me asking," her voice struck Crystal's core with a sudden jolt, "why do you want to learn now? What's changed?"

Crystal's eyes lowered, her vision fading away and replacing itself with images that kicked at her stomach mercilessly. Looming silhouettes wanting to see her hurt. A mangled body only wanting to see her safe. Nauseating helplessness, surging despair, and all the unbearable feelings that came with it.

"I…" she started slowly and softly, "I'm tired…of being saved." The soft turn of Scarlet's head beckoned for her to continue with silent curiosity. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt trying to protect me. I want to be able to protect myself… and strong enough to return the favor." she added with a soft smile dotting her lips.

Her eyes peeked up from their lowered stance, examining the contemplative look that came over her host's face. She watched her steadily digest her answer, processing her intent.

Her head nodded several times, "I see, I see. Thank you for humoring me. I can get you on your way to fulfilling your ambitions, set you up with a solid foundation to build on, but this road you're setting on depends solely on your devotion and dedication to your growth. You do understand this, correct?"

"Of course. I've had plenty of time to think about what I'm getting myself into so there's no need to worry about my resolve." she said, making sure the tone in her voice matched the assurance of her words—solid, unmoving and deeply grounded into her chest.

Scarlet's smile spread, satisfaction radiating off her fur, making it look rich and silky in her delight. "Excellent! Then, how about we get started tomorrow? I'd take you on now but I'm afraid my daughter seems to have fallen asleep on me." Her tails shifted, showing off the small slumbering form of the baby vulpix.

Crystal's eyes peeked over the table, sure enough finding the little red dot snoring peacefully in her fluffy sea that must smell just like home. She didn't need to imagine or assume how good it felt to be securely wrapped in a warm blanket of safety, but she sure was missing it with this little reminder.

"Sounds perfect." she said, hopping off her seat and turning towards the exit, "I'll show myself out. I wouldn't want to disturb her."

"I'm sorry. It seems awfully rude to not walk my guest out."

"Think nothing of it." she assured her with a soft smile, "I'll come back tomorrow, bright and early."


	10. Chapter 10

Crystal couldn't say for certain if she'd be getting any sleep tonight. Her mind plagued with a plethora of restless excitement for the unknown and her untapped potential. Unless there was no untapped potential, then it'd turn into uneasy and fear. Nothing positive there but an unending sea of mediocrity. Or, at least, the shredding fear of mediocrity.

She groaned, digging her paws into her head and sinking deep into the pillow by Emizella's slumbering head. _Why does my stupid brain have to work like this?!_

"Crystal?" a groggy voice rose up beside her, "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Emizella asked, rubbing at her eyes and blinking through the darkness.

"I was asleep…" Crystal murmured deep in her throat. She thought about it a little more before turning under the sheets, "Sorry, I'll try being quieter."

She felt a shift sliding her body closer to Emizella's side, the sudden change in posture pulling Crystal's eyes up to see the moonlight brilliantly reflecting off of the riolu's crimson irises.

"Don't apologize." she said, her brows knitting together, "Look, if you're going to keep me company, then the least I can do is stay up and listen to your worries."

Crystal watched her a little longer, studying the invitation glimmering in her eyes. It tempted her to unclog that well of irrational feelings and emotions and let them all flow back into some semblance of calming logic. It could be worth a shot. If anything, it'd lighten the load weighing heavily in her head and pressing down into her shoulders. Her shoulders were much too small to be holding all this by herself.

A sigh blew past her lips, "I'm… worried that there's nothing there."

"Nothing where?"

"Here," Crystal pressed a paw to her chest, "in me. I want to be strong, but what if I'm not cut out for it? I want to catch up, but what if it's a gap I can't clear?" She groaned, feeling her body sink further into the bed so deeply ingrained with Emizella's scent. "I know, it's stupid, right? To be worried about something like this now."

She heard a hum purr through Emizella's throat, a soft contemplative rumble that rubbed against Crystal's shoulders. She turned an ear up to her, the longer it went the curiouser her hearing got until she was grasping for the words to come.

"Honestly, I kind of get it…in a 'been there, done that' kind of deal." she admitted.

Crystal looked up quickly. Not the reaction she was expecting.

Emizella glanced at her before continuing on, "I know it's hard to believe with how much confidence radiates off me naturally, but I had to start from somewhere too." Her knees went up to her chest, hugging them close while the glimmer of a nostalgic smile began to take shape. "I always looked up to my big bro, so when it was my time to start training to be strong like him I got… really scared. He was always so cool and amazing; how could I ever live up to that." Her eyes lifted up to meet Crystal's, a hand pressing between her ears in a tender pat, "But when I got started and saw what _I_ could do, it wasn't really all that scary anymore. I've seen what you can do when backed into a corner. Try imagining what you're capable of when you've mastered that power."

Crystal held her breath. She didn't want to get too emotional but Emizella was making it really hard. It had to be her feelers, those appendages hanging on her head, that always outed Crystal's heart and told Emizella the exact words she needed to hear. "You… really believe in me, don't you?" she asked in an airless whisper.

She doubted she heard her, she could hardly hear herself, but she just continued to smile. It grew brighter and brighter until her face rivaled the moon and the stars shining into the medical center.

"Of course! You're my one and only partner, after all."

And there went her tears, quietly draining her anxieties and letting them soak her pillow. She pressed her face into the soft, cushiony material until she could barely breathe. Then, she just pressed harder.

The bed creaked and the body next to her shifted until Emizella was back to laying down next to her sobbing body. The blankets were pulled over her shoulders and hand rested on top, rubbing gentle circles into her back.

"Get some sleep. I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning."

Her sniffling died down into faint whispers, her pressure against the pillow dialing back to allow for proper ventilation for her nostrils. The air felt cool with each inhale, a strangely soothing sensation that gave her lungs a fresh refill of life. Inside and out, her body felt nice and comfortable and more relaxed than she could have been alone.

_Yeah… I'll feel better in the morning…_

~uwu~

Crystal, with her shorter legs, had to keep at a brisk trot to keep up with Scarlet's strides. It was a good warm up, gave her heart another reason to race than the nervousness bubbling in her stomach. It gave her body the excuse it needed to shake out the jitters running through her veins and humming in her ears. It mixed up everything inside just enough to keep her mind focused and clear.

"Hm…" Scarlet's tails felt around a bit more, running their fur along the tree barks and feeling out the grooves along the surface, "Yes, this is it."

Crystal peeked past her body, looking inward at the training grounds beaten into the earth. The grass didn't reach the area, stripped away and replaced with a dark substrate she could only assume was better suited to contain whatever practice went on in here. Dummies stood at their post, some scorched, some ripped apart, and some the merciful replacements of another.

Scarlet stepped further in, walking into the center before turning and taking a seat. "This is where we'll hold your lessons from here on out. Remember the path since I'll expect you to practice on your own as well." Her tail reached out past her legs, tapping the space immediately in front of her body. "Here." she beckoned with another tap.

Crystal's head tilted at the gesture but got closer, nonetheless. She started at a short hop, a light jog to clear the distance and a slowed walk until she stood right in front of the ninetales.

She didn't have to alert her to anything, a paw already lifting up and landing on her head. It traced around the round shape, following her jaw and falling down her neck to her chest. She didn't question it, certain that an answer was sure to come on its own.

"Could you take a few deep breaths for me?"

And there it was… well, kind of. Crystal still didn't quite get what Scarlet was trying to do. She felt like she was just being tossed puzzle piece after puzzle piece. She hoped at the very least she'd get a full picture by the end of it. For now, she did as she was told, counting out the seconds of each inhale and exhale that flowed through her body. In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four.

"That'll do." the paw left from her chest, retreating back to the ground, "Since everything is in order, we'll go ahead and get started. For today, I'll be getting acquainted with where your skill levels are at. Nothing too exciting, I know, but I have to feel for myself what I'm working with."

_Wait, "feel?"_

She placed some distance between the two of them, joining the dummy front lines with her tall stature and grounded frame. "Alright, Crystal, hit me with your best shot."

She blinked, "I'm sorry… could you repeat that?"

"Of course. I want you to hit me with your best fire attack. Don't hold anything back, just attack me like you would any opponent."

_That's what I thought you said…_ "But… I don't want to hurt you."

Scarlet laughed, the mirthful sound escaping her before her manners could think better of it. "My apologies but you won't hurt me. An attack from you as you are would be a mere tickle. Definitely nothing for you to worry yourself over."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now then," her tails fanned out behind her, her body tensing and bracing herself for her student's strike in whatever shape it took, "whenever you're ready."

Crystal couldn't help her hesitation despite the reassurance. But she supposed this must be Scarlet's way of understanding the flames dwelling in her students. A suitable substitute for those eyes that could not study the blow's form or vitality. But was seeing and judging with her body really… safe? Well, with the way her fur still glistened under the sun, silky and unblemished, she must know what she's doing.

_Right, she's a teacher. She knows what she's doing. _

She took another deep breath, calming those fluttering worries flying around in her head and making room for her senses to feel out her motions. The heating furnace in her stomach rose hotter and hotter until she could taste its fire at the back of her throat. It gathered in her mouth, swirling over her tongue before launching toward the ninetales. The snaking flame gathered around her body, towering up into a spinning, flaming vortex that trapped her inside for however many seconds it lasted.

Scarlet's head turned within her confinement, a paw lifting up and touching the circling flames. It poked at several points, both high and low. Some of her proddings looked shallow and others a bit deeper, each more curious than the last. She thought she saw her mouth move, saying something within the vortex, but she couldn't make out the sound beneath the rising flame.

The vortex died into embers, dispelling as it rose up towards the sky. It left nothing behind but a scorched mark in the ground and light red tips at the edge of Scarlet's fur.

Her teacher hummed, shaking off the tingle and killing the flame's remnants. "Crystal, you didn't hold back, right?" she asked, pressing a paw against the darkened, burnt earth.

"No? I mean, I don't think I did." Crystal answered. _She really didn't feel anything?_

"Good, good." she nodded.

She walked back to her side, her tail's running over her muzzle and head to lead her behind Crystal's body. Crystal couldn't say she minded the intrusive, stroking touch, but it did tickle her nose and enticed a sneeze to follow immediately after.

"Pardon me," Scarlet apologized, moving the long appendages out of the way and settling them behind her body. "Next, I want you to attack the dummies."

Crystal glanced back at her for a moment before locking her eyes onto one of the staked training dolls. "Right," she responded, her voice more solid and less uneasy with an unfeeling subject becoming the target of her attacks.

She decided to go for one of the newer dummies. Although, "newer" was a relative term. It was still pretty beaten up and dented in, but she'd rather burn up a fresher face than completely break one of the already scorched men.

She pressed another fire spin out of her body, letting the flames circle and engulf the standing dummy. The vortex rose as high as the trees' canopy, its hot air brushing against the leaves and making them billow and dance on their branches. Little pieces broke away at its top, breaking away bit by bit until the vortex extinguished itself.

"Again," Scarlet instructed as soon as it was gone.

_So soon?_ Crystal wondered but the question kept itself sheltered away at the back of her mind.

She did it again, firing at the same dummy once more, now marked with a spiraling scorched scar seared into its fabric. And when that vortex vanished, she was asked to do so again immediately after. The tower of her flames came and went and came and went, getting shorter with each eruption. The effort to keep going began to scratch at her throat, leaving it raw and her voice hoarse. Consequence, no doubt, for continuing the same motions over and over again without a single break in between.

When she asked her to do it again, she tried to push another out but only embers and little pieces of the attack fell from her mouth. She looked back to Scarlet, her eyes worn and tired. "I can't do anymore…" she said with her scratchy voice. Even just the air passing through her esophagus irritated her.

"Oh, that's all that was in you?" she asked, her body coming back into full attention with the end of this phase. "Let's see… including the first that was… nine times you could do that same attack. Those were all fire spins, right?"

"Yes, every one of them." Crystal answered, her hips falling to the ground while her head craned up to look at her.

"I see… Yes! I think I understand now."

"Understand what?"

"Your most pressing issue. We'll need to resolve it before you can start getting better."

Crystal's ears perked up, pushing past the exhaustion to fully absorb Scarlet's words of wisdom.

"You were able to push out nine fire spins, but the average is fifteen. Do you have any idea why you're so far below that average?"

"I don't." she answered, not having a single clue what was wrong with her but she didn't let that muffle her mind. This was a learning moment, after all.

"Each one is much too sloppy. Sometimes you push out too much, others are too little. You're all over the place. And then there's your control." Scarlet moved a paw to Crystal's chest, "When you get fired up, you have a habit of building up too much for one attack and then barfing it all out. Tell me, how do your insides feel?"

Her ears lowered slightly, a soft grimace twisting her face, "Like I tore something…"

"Exactly. Improper control like that will hurt you more in the long run. You're overexerting your body and your body doesn't need to be overexerted to get results. But I understand where it comes from. You only started using your fire because your life depended on it. Without proper training beforehand, your body adjusts to thinking every attack is a desperate fight for survival."

Crystal had a feeling that she might have developed bad habits from basically self-teaching herself in moments of stress and trauma, but it was a heavier feeling to hear it out loud from someone trained enough to pick it out. She just hoped only Scarlet has been able to see it.

A paw pressed to her head, pulling her up from the sinking feeling in her chest. "I'm sorry you've had a rough start, but now, let's focus on how we can fix this." she said in a solemn yet optimistic tone.

Scarlet was right. Absolutely, one hundred percent right. And Crystal kept repeating that to herself until to perked up her body and opened her mind up for her correction instructions.

She made sure Scarlet could feel her readiness under her paw, raising her head up just an inch higher and her fur standing with the excited zeal for learning. "What do I need to do?"

Scarlet's smile came back to her face, happy to continue forward and even happier that Crystal was still ready and willing to do the same. The paw fell back to the ground, leaving a lingering tingle on Crystal's head.

"We'll focus on calming your body first. Throughout the day, I want you to take a few minutes to calm down and empty your mind. Focus on taking deep, even breaths. Your breathing also plays a huge part in the quality of your fire so try keeping that in mind as well. We'll start with meeting up every other day first so I can correct anything amiss. Any questions?"

"Just one." Crystal started, "How will I know if I'm doing it right?"

Scarlet breathed out a chuckle, "You'll know it when you feel it. Each little quiet space is different from pokemon to pokemon so I can't really give you a solid answer. You'll have to give it a shot yourself, but feel free to let me know how your first try went."

It wasn't really the answer she was expecting, but she supposed some of the joys of learning came from exploring the unknown. Who knows, maybe taking a few minutes out of her day to breathe and flush away her thoughts could do more for her than improve the quality of her fire.

~uwu~

Crystal came back to the medical center with a bit more of a skip to her step than when she first left out. Of course, Emizella noticed this, looking towards the doorway and listening in on the fennekin's request to visit her friend once again.

"Thanks, Blaire." she said with a nod, trotting closer with her bag tapping against her side. She hopped up to the seat by the riolu's bed, shifting the bag in front.

"So," Emizella drawled, "how'd it go?"

A sheepish smile played on her lips, a hand rubbing down the fur at the back of her head. "I have a few things to work on, but it looks like I'm not completely hopeless." she confessed.

Emizella laughed, "Well, I always knew you weren't hopeless at all." she said, smug in her subtle boast.

"Yeah, you did." Crystal said in a soft tone, her voice half there while the other bathed itself in sweet bliss.

She felt her face begin to get warmer but she knew it wasn't the work of the fire that lived in her stomach. No, these were the embers of affection and gratitude that kissed her cheeks into a rosy pink. For a moment, she wondered if she was feeling too happy about this, if this kind of reaction was too much for what must seem trivial to her friend. Well, even if she was getting a bit too emotional, she was positive Emizella would never say so.

"Oh yeah!" Crystal fiddled with the clasp of her bag, flipping the flap open and digging around inside, "I stopped by Rhyme & Reason on my way over. It looks like Janice finished setting those stones we picked up. I think they came out pretty great!"

From inside her pouch, she pulled out a small, silver clip-on earring with her violet stone in one paw and a set of three golden bands melded together with Emizella's orange stone mounted into the center band in the other.

"Here, this one's yours." she said, handing the gold bands off to her.

Emizella took it, looking over the craftsmanship of the accessory with glittering eyes. "You weren't kidding!" she exclaimed, snapping the melded bands open and pressing them to the base of her feelers, just where they connected to her head. She clasped them shut, securing their hold to the appendage. It added a taste of brightness against the dark fur, popping out against the surface and twinkling with each catch of the light. "What do you think? Be honest, does it suit me or what?"

Crystal watched her turn her head, showing off the dazzling accent that made her look like royalty. She couldn't help giggling, "It's definitely you." she said, hiding her smiling lips behind a paw.

Emizella laughed with her, "I'm not too big on jewelry, but I don't ever want to take this off."

"But you'll have to eventually. If you keep getting stronger, you'll be a lucario in no time."

"Strength isn't all it takes to be a lucario…"

Her voice was so soft Crystal wondered if she was meant to hear her at all. But that look in her eyes, warm crimson mixed with a sultry undertone, made her think Emizella wanted her to hear that whispered secret.

"Let me help put yours on." Emizella moved closer to the edge of the bed, reaching a hand out to take the clip-on.

The words distracted Crystal from that suggestive look, pulling her back from her daze and imploring her to act now. "Oh, sure. Thanks." she stumbled slightly, dropping the small accessory onto her open palm.

Emizella pinched it between two digits, making sure it was secure in her grip before attempting to move forward. "Which side you want it?"

Crystal raised a paw to her left ear, "This one."

"Got it."

It took all of Crystal's willpower and self-restraint to keep her ear from flickering under her ticklish touch. So feather-soft and gentle with the slightest brush of warmth rubbing against the rim of her ear… She didn't realize she had such a weakness.

How did she do it? Those same hands that were capable of smashing strong stones into helpless rubble could also be as sweet as a butterfree's kiss.

She winced only once when she felt the clip-on snap shut, her shoulders tensing just to keep herself still.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" Emizella asked, taking her hand away quickly.

Crystal tested the weight of the accessory hanging to her ear, moving and flicking it a few times. It felt like there was a subtle tug pulling at the end of her nerves but nothing she couldn't see herself getting used to.

"Not really. The sound just startled me a bit." she answered, showing she meant it with a beaming smile. "How do I look?"

Emizella stared for a bit, "Looks like those ears of yours were made for jewels."

Crystal giggled, "You really think so?"

"Of course! It looks really good on you."

With how emphatically Emizella gave her response, Crystal couldn't keep the bashful look from creeping onto her face. She couldn't relax the muscles yanking at her cheeks and keeping a glowing smile on her lips. She couldn't ease her thumping heart pumping warm blood all throughout her body and making her feel like she was boiling. And she definitely couldn't keep her tail from tapping away excitedly against the seat of her chair. At least the sheer fluffiness of it muffled some of the sound.

Emizella could see all of it. Crystal just knew she could see it all from her head down to the tip of her paws. The smile on her lips just gave away how she enjoyed these internal declarations of uncontrollable delight. But maybe this was good too, letting her know just how much she loved to be complimented and praised. It might not be such a bad thing at all.

"Thanks…" she muttered. _Don't think I'll be taking mine off anytime soon either._


	11. Chapter 11

"Okay, last one for today. Make it good!" Scarlet called from the opposite side of the training grounds, her stance lowering and her body bracing for imminent impact.

Crystal took in a breath, fanning the fire into a lively blaze before letting it flow out. It felt smooth running up her throat and tasted just like warm sunshine on her tongue. She never knew her flame even had a flavor to it nor did she expect it to be so pleasant.

She watched her flames circle around Scarlet's body, climbing high into an impenetrable fortress that consumed everything inside. Its reddish-orange, glowing hue reflected against her eyes, engulfing its surroundings in a warm light. Perhaps she sounded a bit conceited in thinking this, but it really was a pretty fire.

The attack dispersed, Scarlet's tails moving to dust off its residue from her fur when it had disappeared completely. "Nicely done. They've definitely improved since our first time. Tell me, do they feel any different to you?"

"Completely! It hardly feels the same anymore." Crystal answered back, her voice sharp with pride over her own accomplishments. "They feel so much better, like I can run a marathon from my mouth! Wait, that didn't come out right."

Scarlet giggled, "No, no, that sounds just about right. Well then, would you like to learn a new move?"

Excitement filled Crystal's lungs to the point where she was pretty sure they should have popped. They remained intact inside her chest, letting her live long enough to enjoy her teacher's suggestion. "Really? You really think I'm ready to learn one?"

"I don't see why not. It's best to add something new once in a while to keep our lessons from going stale. And since you've gained a good amount of control, I think it's time to change things up a bit. Unless you think we're moving too fast."

"No! No! This is the perfect speed." Crystal declared, her tail swaying behind her into the dirt until it left a deep impression.

"Your enthusiasm is much appreciated. Now, this isn't really an attack but more of a status altering move. You've heard of will-o-wisp, right?"

"Of course." she nodded, calming her heart down so she could properly listen and respond to the conversation.

"It'll require a bit more control than your fire spins. Instead of pulling from the fire that dwells in your body, you'll be summoning and manifesting it by your side and willing it to attack your target. Here, allow me to demonstrate." Scarlet turned towards her attention towards the dummies, her eyes closing in her focus. The air around her grew quiet and still, a haunting chill surrounding her body.

If Crystal wasn't watching her as she was, she could have easily mistaken the ghostly presence for an uninvited guest. Was Crystal scared of ghosts? She didn't think she was, but there was a deeply embedded glint on a voice that told her to be wary. A distant voice, far off and deep into her subconscious, but something she couldn't quite ignore.

There was one flicker of light, a cold hue of blues and violets that dance beside its summoner. Then another and another and another until she had them twirling around her body in a ring of eerie little lights. When her eyes opened, Crystal saw the luminescent glow that overlapped their dulled color, a brilliant shine that was both beautiful and frightening.

They soared up from her, flying not quite in a line but aimed at one thing and one thing only. The dummy, poor soul that it was, was circled completely, the little flickers tightening their ring until there was no escape from their curse.

The glow remained in her eyes for a second longer until the last of her flames burrowed itself into the fabric of the training doll, the move completed and, had the dummy been a living creature, her burn sealed. "Now, had our target not been grounded into the earth, the will-o-wisps would have chased them down until either their job was complete or their summoner ceases their pursuit. Summon, manifestation and manipulation, that's what we'll have to work on to get you ready to use this attack practically. Still feeling enthusiastic?" she asked.

Enthusiastic was a start. Optimistic was another step in the right direction. If she could master this, if she could take control of all forms of power within her, then anything was possible, wasn't it? She can get stronger. She'll become stronger. "Yes," she breathed out, her lungs only allowing for the single syllable answer.

She was sure it amused Scarlet to no end to leave her student so breathless with her excitement. She probably stroked the fires of exhilaration on purpose just to hear it in her voice. Well, Crystal could forgive her for that. It wasn't like she disliked it, anyway.

"Perfect. Then, we'll get started next time. For now… I think your escort is waiting for you." she said, a paw pointing back towards the exit where a familiar face stood waiting against one of the trees.

"Emi!" Crystal exclaimed, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not-"

"She's been waiting there since your last fire spin." Scarlet intruded, smiling away while Emizella stammered to stop her.

"Just… out me, why don't you?" Emizella muttered, letting the brief moment of embarrassment fizzle out before clearing her throat. "Yeah, well, ready to head home, then? We can pick up a snack on the way."

"Oh! Yeah, sure." Crystal nodded, turning to look back at Scarlet and nodding her head, "Thanks for today as well."

"Not at all. Don't forget to practice and keep up your breathing exercises."

"Of course!" Crystal answered, trotting off to the exit of the practice grounds and joining Emizella's side.

Part of her felt a little guilty for not noticing she had been there for so long, but the other part hoped she really did see her. She hoped she saw how much better she was getting. And she hoped she liked what she saw.

~uwu~

"Oh man! I thought I knew you but I didn't know anything at all, did I? To think you could get even _more_ incredible. And now you're going to start learning will-o-wisp? So cool!"

Good news was she did like it. Even better news? She was impressed. On a related note, this fire type was about ready to melt into a shamefully hot mess. Seriously, how could she just proclaim her praises in the middle of the road like this? Crystal wasn't ready for this. Her head wasn't ready for this. Her legs weren't ready to support her head that wasn't ready for this.

She said hello to gravity, falling down to the beaten path and tucking herself into a tight ball of fluid mush. "Emizella, please…"

"It's 'Emi', isn't it?" she crouched down low to the ground, her face much too mirthful to consider any of this accidental.

Crystal's eyes peeked over her arms, keeping the rosy flush on her cheeks hidden away as she eyed her tormentor. She didn't pay much mind to the growing slap of rubber coming in closer, harder, and faster.

"And it's going! It's going! It's gone, it's definitely gone."

"Watch it!"

Emizella's reaction speed was as on point as ever, turning gears at the drop of a coin. One second, she's relishing in Crystal's bashful and shy nature, the next she's slapping away a red rubber ball hurtling towards the both of them. The toy never stood a chance and neither did Damien's face, taking the deflected projectile point-blank. Fur coat came in handy for such occasions but that didn't keep the scowl from coming onto his face.

The skitty, the little perpetrator of the rubber runaway, slinked back to hide behind the poochyena, even going as far as to push her forward just a smidge.

Emizella covered her mouth, eyes widened at the mistake of her reflexes. "My bad, Damien! I didn't see you there."

Damien's eyes blinked back open from their tensed brace, shaking off the shock of the blow and walking it off like the fluffy champ he was. "No need for apologies, darling. I'm used to this. But you, young lady..." his gazed shot directly towards the pair that brought the ball into the equation in the first place, "What have I told you about playing ball by the shop?"

The poochyena looked back at her friend with a narrowed look in her eyes, knowing that the scolding gaze wasn't meant for her and pushing its subject back into view.

She yelped at the sudden shove, looking back to her before shrinking under her father's glare. "Not to play ball by the shop…"

"And what were you doing?"

"Playing ball by the shop… I'm sorry, Papa. I'll be more careful next time."

"I don't think it's me you should be apologizing to." Damien said with a nodding gesture of his head pointing to the ball's original target.

Her attention turned to Emizella, her body still standing in front of Crystal despite the ball having stilled to a complete stop. "Sorry, Emi. I got a bit carried away with my pass there."

"It's all good. But that was quite the toss. Think you and Luna are ready for the big leagues yet?"

"As if!" Luna blurted, "If Lilac could quit showboating, then _maybe_."

"Or maybe _someone_ needs to learn how to catch the gosh dang ball!"

Sparks of competitive spirt flew between the two, an air of intensity crackling and popping all around them. But the smirks that took over their faces showed no real malice. Just playful prodding with a bit of truth lying just underneath.

"Guess we've got some more practicing to do." Luna was the first to say but Lilac was quick to follow suit.

"Yeah, you gotta hurry up and learn to keep up." she told her, taking up the ball with her tail and dashing down the road.

"Or maybe you should learn some restraint!" her friend shouted, running after her.

"Never!"

Damien let out a soft sigh, rubbing a paw over his forehead and down his muzzle. "That girl is going to give me wrinkles one day…"

"You doing alright there?" Emizella asked, her shoulders relaxing the further away the girls took their game.

"Just fine, darling. Better my face than the window, I always say."

"You've said that more than once?" Crystal asked, standing up slowly upon her now solidified legs.

"Unfortunately…" he answered while a gentle, adoring smile spread across his lips, "but it's nothing I can't handle. Her sister came out just fine, I'm sure she will too."

There was a certain brightness behind his words. An uplifting, shimmering light spoken from a place of parental affection and the belief in his own child. But that's a dad for you, isn't it? It got Crystal wondering about Emizella's parents. She had a pair, didn't she? Have they said the same thing about her as well? And what about Crystal herself? Did she have parents here? _Are they waiting for me on the other side?_

"Oh darn!" Damien tsked, "I forgot to give her Jasmine's letter…"

"I can take it to her, if you want." Crystal offered, the errand girl in her still running strong in her bones.

"No need. She'll be back for dinner anyhow. I'll give it to her then."

~uwu~

That night, a strange dream played in her head. Not quite a nightmare but it still carried a sense of heartache and dread that gripped at her chest until she was suffocating.

_"This is it! With five seconds to go on the clock, it all comes down to PokéBall legend, Lilac, to make the play of a lifetime." the voice announced, intermitted with the tappings of the pair's rubber ball bouncing against the whippings of her tail, "Her eyes are squared, they're teamwork is looking on point. Will they do it? Can they make this winning shot?!"_

_"Not if she doesn't pass the ball!" her friend shouted, her patience wearing incredible thin. _

_"Fine!" _

_She bounced the ball a few more times, throwing it higher and higher before hitting it at its highest point with an audible slap. _

_"And here it is, folks!" she called out, watching her beautiful shot soar over to her friend, flying high out of her reach and tumbling into the bushes._

_"And there it goes…" _

_"Ya know, you keep going off on me but it's going to look so cool when we're both bigger and you know it."_

_"Just get the ball."_

_"'Just get the ball.'" she mocked, blowing a raspberry into the sky before hopping to it._

_She saw Lilac jump through the leaves and branches, stepping closer to the red ball before noticing something outside of her dream's vision._

_"Hey, what's wrong? Did I hit you or something?"_

_It shook its head slowly._

_"Then why are you crying?"_

_"What's taking so long?" her friend called from the other side._

_"C'mere for a sec!" Lilac called back. She looked back at the weeping pokemon, "Don't worry, Luna just looks scary but she's actually a really good friend of mine."_

_"Please tell me you didn't lose- oh." Luna's head popped in next, eyes taken aback by the stranger and choosing to tread closer carefully. "A _-_-___? What are you doing out here by yourself?"_

_The voice is muffled, drowned by a static that ripped and clawed at Crystal's mind. She couldn't make out what it was saying but it was getting more panicked, more frantic, in its plea._

_"Hey, hey, it's okay. We'll help you find your way. Let's just trace back your steps, and I'm sure we'll find something. Right, Luna?"_

_"Yeah!" They both stood by its side, "It'll be easier with a couple of friends helping you out."_

_The stranger nodded, the trio turning to find whatever it was that was missing. It left Crystal behind to watch while despair snaked up her throat and rung its ghastly claws around her neck. It tore into her flesh the more she fought to scream, a pressure growing on her back to keep her grounded. All she could do was claw at the sinking earth beneath her. Wait, when did she start to sink?_

_"What's your name?" their voice became faint and far, growing further beyond her reach._

_" _-_-__."_

Crystal started up with a deep gasp, the fear from her dream seeped deep into her flesh and fluffing up every strand of fur on her body. She found Emizella coiled around her back in their base, the soft chirpings of the nocturnal woods reminding her of the difference between reality and dream.

The night was still heavy in the sky. How close to dawn was she? Well, judging by the stars lively dance and Emizella's gentle snoring, there was still a good amount of time before daybreak. She should go back to sleep. She should just go back to sleep. But her chest still had that awful feeling clinging around her heart. How could she possibly sleep when it felt like she was breathing through murky, swamp water?

This seemed like the perfect excuse to squeeze in a few minutes of her breathing exercises. If she wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon then she might as well do something productive. And, after a dream like that, she really needed her quiet place to wash out the funk. However, before she could do any of that, she first needed to get out of Emizella's hold. How was her grip _stronger_ in her sleep?!

Crystal twisted in her arms, finding her head the most difficult part to pry out. _Curse this big head…_ she grunted, tilting and squeezing through the gap that was the riolu's embrace. For a moment, her mind flashed to butter. She should not be thinking of butter.

_Dammit, Emi, why… are you such… a heavy sleep-AH!_ She popped her head free, leaving her body loose enough to tumble back with all the extra force she put into her yanks and pulls. She rolled onto her back with a yelp, although the grass saved her from thunking her head too hard against the earth. Her voice carried through the still night air, prompting her paws to push against her lips when her own cry made it back to her ears.

She peeked down her stomach, spotting Emizella's slumbering figure groan before turning and readjusting her position. Even after all that, she was still sound asleep, unbothered and undisturbed. Really, was there any point in keeping her voice down? She supposed not, letting a sigh flow through her lungs and out her nose before her paws moved to relax over her chest.

Crystal stared up towards the stars, her mind too dazed to think straight and her thoughts too heavy to float away. But the heaviest of them all, the one grounded at the back of her eyes like wet sand, was that dream.

The more she called it a dream, the less right it felt to give it such a title. _What was that?_ She tried to remember the little pieces that stirred up her stomach, the parts that riddled her heart with a sense of inadequacy and failure. _Who were they talking to?_

A soft cry into the night tickled her ear tufts and tuned her into the voice pleading with the trees and rustling leaves. What was it saying? Nothing much, mostly a call out for someone. But who, then?

Crystal rolled onto her feet, lifting herself up with an urgency she didn't realize she had until it pushed her out of their base to answer that plea.

"Luna! Luna!" the voice begged to the silent stars, teetering on the edge of tears.

The wails stopped for a second when Crystal got closer, the leaves trembling around her every step. It gave the voice the illusion of the one she called answering in turn, only to be disheartened upon seeing the fennekin's face pop out instead.

"Oh…" The mightyena's face sunk in sorrow, any form of intimidation lost behind tearful eyes. "I'm sorry, I know it's late, but I'm looking for my daughter."

"No need to apologize. You didn't wake me up or anything." Crystal said, hoping it would provide some amount of reassurance. It didn't. Crystal didn't think she even cared if her cries were disturbing the neighborhood. She jumped over the last branch of the bush, stepping closer to her. "You said you were looking for your daughter?"

The mightyena nodded, "My Luna… she was playing with her friend just this afternoon, but she hasn't come home yet. I'm really worried, I can't find her anywhere…"

"Luna… Luna and Lilac?"

"Yes!" she answered, her eyes growing more distraught by the second, "I tried asking if she was merely staying the night but even Janice and Damien haven't seen their little girl. It's not like them to stay out without letting us know." A paw raised to her mouth, looking like a pondering gesture for a moment before Crystal spotted the flashes of white digging into it.

"Maybe… maybe they lost track of time," Crystal offered, but even she felt it to be a subpar excuse for two missing children. "Maybe… they'll turn up in the morning."

Honestly, she felt like these words were more to drown out the unsteady feeling in her stomach than to settle the mightyena's worry but the mother took the excuse. Any form of reassurance that told her that her daughter was okay was reassurance she desperately needed.

"Perhaps… I'm… I'm going to look for a while longer. Please… if you see either of them, tell them to come home."

"Of course…"

Her heart sunk further watching the mightyena walk away from her, the cries for her child filling the air once more. And, as her figure was swallowed by the shadows of the forest, Crystal felt the failure eat its way further into her mind.

~uwu~

Neither Luna nor Lilac came home.


	12. Chapter 12

"Thank you all for coming."

Elder Pines addressed the gathered village from beneath the sacred tree. At his sides, several others stood away from the crowd. There were Damien and Janice, the former comforting the latter in the best way he knew how within his own grief. There was the mightyena who was searching for her daughter in the woods the night before, her eyes dry and red from her sobs. She'd still be crying now if she had any more tears to shed, but Crystal could imagine she was tapped out.

There was an arcanine that sat at his full height, exuding strength and power—a pillar of protection for the concerned onlookers. And there was the luxray Ezekiel, as stoic as Crystal has ever known him to be, sitting right by that pillar's side with eyes that sought to preserve its integrity and snuff out the saboteurs.

"As you may all be aware, two of our little ones have gone missing just recently. Damien and Janice's little skitty, Lilac, and Nova's little poochyena, Luna. I know this news may concern you, but rest assured, we are taking action to bring them both home as soon as possible. With that being said, our chief of public safety will give further details of our situation. Ace, if you would."

The arcanine nodded his head, standing to his feet and taking the elder's place before the sea of fear and uncertainty.

"Thank you, sir. At this current moment in time, we don't have enough evidence to conclude whether this is a case of two young pokemon getting lost in the forest or if they have been kidnapped by an unknown abductor. However, we will be doing everything in our power to bring them home. As we speak, our sky division is monitoring the air while our patrol team is scouring for any traces of their whereabouts.

"Until they are found, we will be taking measures to assure that no one else goes missing. For the safety of our children, we will be enforcing a strict curfew policy effective immediately. School-age children will be required to be home by sunset. Any children caught past this time must be escorted home immediately. They must remain on the village's premises at all times. Play, exploration, or travel past the borders is prohibited with no exception. Are they any questions so far?"

"Pst!" a paw reached to break past the crowd, but her arms were too short to peek above the heads of the taller, older villagers. So, she resorted to her whispered calls, "Dad! Dad! Dad, pick me!"

He breathed out a soft sigh. With a plea like that, Crystal could feel that Ace was much too used to the questions that came from this growlithe's mouth. But he humored her, as she was sure he always did.

"Yes, Ruby?"

Ruby scaled up Scarlet's back, climbing to where she could be seen and heard despite her mother's risen brow. "Do we still have to go to school?"

"Yes, Ruby, you still have to go to school."

That response elicited the first wave of uproars in this entire community meeting, the children's groans and complaints filling the air with their displeasure.

"Enough!" Ezekiel couldn't and wouldn't stand for it for long, his booming voice and terrifying stare startling the children long enough for them to remember where they were and the gravity of what they were talking about.

"Thank you, Ezekiel." Ace said, receiving a soft huff in return, "Now, as I was saying, you will still need to attend school, however, you will be escorted to and from the school grounds every day until this crisis is resolved. We'll be relying on everyone to assist with this so please check the community board for your scheduled escort times. Any other questions?"

Tim was the next to raise his hand, "Will our shop suppliers be kept from making their deliveries?"

"They will be permitted to deliver supplies but they must be monitored at all times." Ace answered. It seemed fair enough and the shop owners seemed satisfied with the decision. "Anyone else?"

The crowd looked around at their gathering, looking along with their chief for any more pressing questions that needed answers, but all hands, paws, wings, and claws remained down.

"Very well. If anything comes up, please feel free to find me. And remember to check the board for the days and times we've asked for your help in guaranteeing our children's safety." He finished his address with a nod of his head, stepping back to allow Elder Pines back into the spotlight.

"Thank you, Ace. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that we trust you and your men to get the job done. Please follow these guidelines to the letter and we'll pull through this. May Lady Xerneas smile on us all."

The crowd began to disperse, concerned mutterings filling the air from parents and child-free folks alike. It wasn't ruled as either-or, but that didn't stop them from fearing the worst. Crystal wanted to stay optimistic, wanted to believe in the best-case scenario, however, the vivid visions from her dream wouldn't let her believe in such false hope. Someone took them and Crystal was unable to see who it was or why they had done it.

"Hey, don't look so down." Emizella nudged her gently, "This may be a small village but our safety officers are no joke. They'll solve this and then it's back to business as usual."

Crystal wished she could share in Emizella's positive outlook. She tried though, cracking a small smile for the riolu, but it didn't last long, fading away just as quickly as it came. If Emizella saw what she had seen, what would she do? Would she still rely on the officials to find Luna and Lilac or would she take matters into her own hands?

_Okay, that was a stupid question. There's no way Emi would just sit still and do nothing._

There was a tickle at the back of Crystal's throat. Part of her wanted to tell her about that dream—premonition or whatever it was—but the other part knew it would be a reckless mistake. Say she did tell her and then what? She had no idea where they were and she had no clues to the identity of whoever took them away. They'd be running as blindly as the officers searching high and low out there. It wasn't the most satisfactory decision but what else was she supposed to do?

"Emi, Crystal, do you have a moment?"

Ace stepped closer to them, giving Crystal a front-row seat to how large and bulking his body was. It _would_ be startling… if she didn't see the baby vulpix snuggled into his mane atop his head. _Does she even have an actual bed?_

"Sure, what's up?" Emizella asked.

"I'd like you both to stay in the village until this is all resolved. I realize you're both old enough to take care of yourselves but we could use all the extra hands we can get. Plus, investigations will go a lot smoother if we're not mixing up tracks."

Emizella thought about it, her arms crossing over her chest while her head mulled over the issue. "We can, but I'm not stepping foot back in my house."

_Is that what tripped her up?_ Crystal wondered with an incredulous stare. _What's wrong with her house?_

"I figured you might say that and have made arrangements that you may find more agreeable. For the time being, we can put you both up in the village inn. All expenses paid, of course."

Crystal wasn't sure if her eyes saw it right or if it was a trick of the light, but she could have sworn she saw Emizella's body flinch at the suggested offering. Her body steeled itself, keeping the visible reaction down to a minimum. "You sure that's fine?"

"Of course! The public safety division understands the inconvenience of putting you out of your home during our search so we hope that this much will be enough to compensate you for your cooperation."

It probably wasn't meant to sound like a bribe but the way Ace worded it definitely sounded like a sweet proposition to Crystal's ears.

Emizella's attention shifted to her, "What do you say? Feel like staying in the inn for a while?"

"I'm not really that picky about where I sleep."

"That's 'cuz you haven't had any of the high-grade good stuff." she told her with a chuckle before turning back to Ace, "Alright then, I just have to grab a few things first and then you guys can search around there all you want."

"Excellent! The public safety division greatly appreciates your cooperation and support." he said with a smile that beamed as strong as his voice, "I'll leave you to it, then. Have a safe day."

And with that, he turned to leave, walking back to Scarlet and their double-growlithe-vulpix-triplet set. Their tails started to wag, competing with each other on who could look the most ecstatic to see that their father was done with his business. Well, done enough to offer up some time to play with them.

"Dad, can we get breakfast now?" Ruby asked. Her paws were the first to press against her father's legs but her brothers were quick to follow the attention-seeking behavior, going as far as to jump in an attempt to climb onto his back.

"Yeah! Let's go get pancakes!" Garnet, her vulpix brother, added to his siblings' excitement.

"With sweet moomoo milk and honey!" Jasper finished off the request, licking his lips before the image painted in their minds. Even Crystal's mouth was beginning to water.

"Okay, okay, just behave yourselves." Ace conceded, kneeling down so his children didn't have to struggle so hard to climb on.

"We always do, Dad!" Ruby said, her and her brothers getting themselves situated on their father. She then nudged a gentle paw into her baby sister's bottom, pushing her higher on the crown of Ace's head.

His balancing act belonged in a circus, walking shoulder to shoulder with his wife while carrying three children on his back and a baby on his head. Crystal could tell Ace was well versed in the art of meeting the whims of his children.

She couldn't help staring at the family unit, catching Jasper's eyes as he leaned his back against his brother. He gave a wave from his laxed position, "See ya around!" he called out amidst his glee. Despite the heavy air, despite her heavy heart, they could still smile in bliss, just happy to spend their time together as a family.

But every silver lining carried a shadow with it and Crystal's eyes sought out that shadow. She saw them, the parents unlucky enough to know the devastating pain of longing for those carefree times, talking with the elder trevenant along with Ezekiel and a pyroar taking mental notes on everything they were saying. She felt a stinging feeling covering her heart with little pinpricks, the little wounds encouraging her to scratch at the growing itch. But her teeth sunk into her lips, reminding herself not to scratch at it. Reminding herself that, even if she did, there was nothing she could do with such little and, frankly, unreliable information.

_They'll find them,_ she told herself, _they'll find them…_ but it tasted like a lie.

~uwu~

Despair and heartache spread like a deadly illness in the small village. Despite seeing to it that every child made it to and from the school grounds, a little fomantis disappeared without a trace. Despite monitoring the border with strict vigilance, a small joltik vanished without any warning. They upped their efforts, increased their manpower and tightened their patrol, but children kept going missing. They had to up the severity of the case to serial kidnappings and all young children were required to stay in their homes.

Suspicion grew in this one neighborly village, not towards any named suspect but towards those that swore themselves to protect them.

"Are they really even trying?" Crystal heard one of the villagers mutter under their breath when seeing one of the patrolling officers.

"How much longer do they expect up to sit by and wait?" another growled, disgust dripping like venom.

"My baby girl is scared and crying somewhere and they still haven't found _anything_?" It wasn't even a whisper anymore, just razor-sharp words of accusation pointed directly towards the public safety division and their chief.

But Ace said nothing about it, keeping his head held high while directing the pokemon under him with each new update. Even with faith running thin, he wouldn't abandon his duty. Crystal wasn't sure what was more painful to watch, the growing scrutiny within the village or Ace's worn and tired face that seemed to drag lower every time she saw him.

"Have you found anything yet?" Nova asked the regular question she would pose to the arcanine daily.

His face fell lower, "I'm sorry… We've expanded our search radius but nothing has turned up yet."

"Unbelievable…" an ursaring scoffed, "How much longer are you going to take? Don't you realize what's at stake here?"

"Of course we do. We're doing all we can." Ace said, his voice pushing itself to remain steady.

"Could have fooled me…"

"And what are you doing? You think standing around and shooting your mouth off is going to bring everyone home any faster?" a linoone shouted to the ursaring, fangs bearing in agitation.

"They're the ones that swore to protect _us_! How long do they expect us to wait for any kind of news?"

"We're out there running ourselves ragged! The least you can do is not badger us with your complaints!" one of the patrol guards shouted out, sounding young, impulsive, and very, _very_, exhausted.

"My complaints? You think this is as simple as just complaining? I complain when my food comes cold. I complain when someone steps on my toes. But this… I don't even know if my son is alive or dead and you can't even tell me that much?!" the ursaring cried, breaking down into sobs.

No one wanted to mention it. No one wanted to think about it, but there it was, the grimmest possibility laid bare for all to see. It hanged in the air, heavy and suffocating, stealing the breath away from anyone and everyone who could hear. The ursaring's shattered voice broke through the air like crackling static, carrying with it a collective sorrow that broke Crystal's heart.

"I can't do anything more than swear to you that I am doing all I can…" Ace said, his voice barely audible. It couldn't hide the trembling in his throat.

The ursaring's eyes glared through her tears, staring through the wet, red tint at the arcanine. And she muttered under her breath just loud enough for him to hear, "Whatever helps you sleep at night…"

She left on that last note. Nobody dared get in her way, their eyes downcasted with heavy veils of grief cloaking their eyes. Nova turned her gaze up at him, regarding him silently before turning to leave as well. She didn't say anything and she didn't need to. It wasn't anger or even disappointment that flashed in her eyes. It was just… empty.

Crystal looked up at Ace, his lips pressed firmly together but she could still see the quivers breaking through.

"Ace, are you-"

"C'mon, Crystal. We still have a lot of ground to cover." He turned away before she could ask—before she could see—if he was all right. She couldn't call the look of his back cold or distance, but there was definitely something to it that deterred her from trying again.

~uwu~

Crystal walked with him back to his house, not wanting to leave him alone after what had happened. He tried urging her back, her workday ending a long time ago, but she insisted she stay. He might not have said anything but this didn't feel like a time to leave him to deal with the growing demons in his head. At least, Crystal wouldn't want to be left alone to deal with them by herself. Maybe Ace needed that same kindness.

"Thank you for your time today, Crystal." he said, turning to look to her once they arrived at his front door. "You should head straight back to the inn. It's gotten rather late and I wouldn't want Emizella worrying about where you are."

"Of course. I just wanted to make sure you got home okay." Crystal smiled. It was a small relief to see him return the gesture.

"That's kind of you but-"

"Dad?" the door creaked open and his daughter's face peered through the crack.

"Ruby…what are you doing still up? You should be in bed." Ace turned to face her, watching her push the door open wider.

Crystal could see into their family room, catching a glimpse of the pile of sleeping bodies that had tried to wait for him to come home. Scarlet covered their children in a nest of fluff, her tails blanketing the two brothers while their baby nestled herself by her mother's head. They tried to wait up for him yet Ruby was the only one awake to greet him.

She stared up at her father, her eyes glossy and shimmering. The admiration and adoration for the arcanine did not die and refused to yield no matter what words from outside drifted into her eyes. She moved closer to his leg, rubbing her cheek into him and rolling her head to look into his eyes.

"It's okay, Dad. I still believe in you."

Crystal saw his eyes breaking, his iron will helpless against his overflowing tears. It was okay, though. No one here would think any less of him for letting his vulnerability peek through. Not Crystal and certainly not his daughter.

A large paw wrapped around Ruby, hugging her closer while his head hung low against his chest. "Thanks, kiddo…"

"Anytime…" she said with a smile, her tail swaying behind her.

At least in all this turmoil, he still had a safe place in his own home.

~uwu~

Crystal felt every pull and drag of her muscles as she made her way back to their shared suite. She could collapse in front of the door and her body would still call it a victory, but she must make it inside. She could use a taste of her own safe place right about now and it lied on the other side of this door.

She pushed her way in, slipping her bag to the floor next to Emizella's before finding her in their room. "Oh hey," she greeted, sitting up from her lounging position and placing the book she was reading from her lap to the pillow. She didn't wait to meet Crystal halfway, jumping out of the bed and stepping closer, "How was your day?"

Crystal didn't have the energy to restrain herself, letting her face shove itself into Emizella's chest. Every ounce of body weight she had melted into her fuzzy body, hoping she could vanish away into the familiar scent. She asked for the pets she grew so accustomed to loving with a soft nudge of her head and received it without any complaints.

"Guessing it was rough, huh?" she asked, her voice warm and soft against her ears.

Crystal only hummed, buzzing against Emizella's body without bothering to move her head.

"Well, how about we hit the baths? At this hour, it'll probably be empty so we can have the place all to ourselves."

Crystal didn't have to think about it. She didn't even pretend to think about it. She just pushed her head to the side and freely let the words flow out. "A bath sounds really good right now…"

"Right? Let's get down there before they lock it up." she said, wrapping an arm around her stomach and lifting her off the ground.

Crystal couldn't deny that it was a smart move on Emizella's part. There was no way they would have made it in time if they left it up to Crystal's paws to carry her all the way downstairs to where the public baths were kept. She just hung like a loose doll with each step, feeling the bobs of her body trickle down from her head to her toes.

Shouldn't she be feeling less dignified being carried like this? But her body was small and light and Emizella didn't seem to care much so why should she? Besides, it wasn't like anyone was around to judge her on it so why not enjoy the ride for as long as it lasted. It wouldn't last forever, anyway so she'll savor it while she still could.

Now, Crystal liked baths. She didn't think she could in this life but they were just as calming and relaxing as the few pieces from her far off days remembered. She melted away in the hot bathwater, the subtle sweet smells of candied fruits and honeyed flowers wafting into her nose. She took in a deep breath of it, letting it swim in her head before sighing deeper into its shallow depths.

The water splashed around Emizella's body when she stretched her arms high above her head, soft pops coming from her spine as she tried reaching for the ceiling. "It feels so good to freshen up at the end of the day. We can cook ourselves for as long as we want without any worries."

"Mm-hm," Crystal hummed, feeling the tickling bubbles brush against her fur.

She really did love baths but she hated how short-lived this moment of bliss truly was. Just on the other side of the steam and the fog was their reality. It was nothing like this dreamy place. It didn't come with sweet scents and it didn't care how she felt about that. It must have flickered across her eyes, the brief glimpse into what lied at the other side of that door.

Emizella moved closer, staring towards the same wall with little glances peeking through the corner of her eyes at the fennekin. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her breath skating across the water's surface.

"About what?" Crystal asked back, although it was more of a reflex than an actual question. Feigning ignorance was pretty much useless at this point.

"About what's eating you up inside. My offer still stands, you know. I don't care if it's mundane or completely bonkers crazy, I still want you to be able to tell me whatever it is you need to get out. Unload it all onto me, I can take it." she said with a grin, pointing a digit towards herself with a clear "dump your baggage here" kind of air about her.

"I…" Her words caught themselves in her throat, an inability to complete the thought overtaking her chest and putting a hold on her breath to keep her from continuing. She released the short pause, letting a long exhale blow out and relax her chin over the public tub's edge. "Promise me you won't think any less of me?"

"Of course."

Her eyes flashed towards the riolu before going off to stare back into the steam, "I don't think what we're doing is going to get us any closer to finding the missing children, but I don't think it's because we're not trying hard enough. I truly believe that everyone is doing their best with what they can do. Ace, Jesse, Ezekiel… everyone's truly doing everything in their power to find them, but I don't think they'll be able to find them like this." She stopped for a second, gathering up her thoughts and rearranging them into a clear message. "Whoever took the children… I don't think they'll be found if they don't want to be. I mean, they're only targeting the youngest villagers yet not a single parent has seen them. It makes me think that… if we want to find them, we'll have to make _them_ find _us_ instead."

"How do you suppose we do that?"

Crystal shook her head slowly, "I don't like the answer… and I know Ace wouldn't like it either." her eyes turned up to Emizella's, "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

She watched her for a second before the crimson in her eyes took on a tone that mixed with the light of enlightenment and the shadows of apprehension. "Live bait?"

Crystal nodded.

"That can't be our only option… but everything else makes sense." Emizella muttered, her brows shaping a focused look into her eyes. "Let's talk to Ace about it tomorrow. We'll come up with a plan together and go from there." she suggested with a firm nod of her head.

Crystal gave an affirmative hum, her head feeling just a little bit better after giving a voice to her circling thoughts. Sure, things were still uncertain, but she felt lighter and maybe just a bit more hopeful that everything can and will go back to normal.

~uwu~

Edging into the early morning, where the sky was just growing a little brighter and the dew was just starting to settle, Crystal could hear the shouts of desperation and panic creeping into her sleep and waking her to Scarlet's voice. The grogginess of her brain made it hard to hear, but she thought she heard her shouting out two names: Ruby and Garnet.

Ruby.

Garnet.

Ruby.

Garnet.

Over, and over, and over…


	13. Chapter 13

In the early waking hours of the day, flying within the brisk morning air, a colony of bubbles would blow down the streets, carrying with them a gentle melody. Their silver lights glittered as they rose higher and higher into the endless sky. And when the villagers would see these bubbles and hear their song, they would know all is well for Xerneas has heard their prayers.

On this morning, those bubbles did not fly. They did not meet the villagers at their windows and doors because graver matters required their full attention. Their songstress could not spare a single, precious bubble towards their average route. She could not let them scatter and fly free for she needed their aid in her group service, a special gathering of the village to pool together the last bits of hope left in this trying time.

"Even now in our uncertainty," Lillian continued on, "Lady Xerneas still smiles upon us. Her grace has not dimmed. Her light: unwithered. Her crystal shines bright with her ethereal radiance and so too must our hearts."

Her voice sounded like a merciful melody, healing and kind. It carried with it her deeply held beliefs and passion that could not be wavered or broken. If Ace was to be their pillar of strength, then Lillian was their pillar of faith. A bridge between Xerneas's unearthly grace and this mortal plane. A medium for the Mother of Life's tender embrace.

"Let us take this moment and pray. Pray for the pokemon on the front lines giving their blood, sweat and tears to bringing our loved ones home. Pray for the little ones; that they may still believe they'll see their families again. And, if you have it in your hearts, pray for the one that started this all. Pray for them, for they are lost. Pray for them, for they are scared. Pray for them, for they, too, carry a light of Xerneas within their soul."

The crowd took on a serene silence where not even a sniffle or a cough broke through. Their eyes closed, deeply immersed in their thoughts and wishes but they dared not utter them less they break their spell. From the earth beneath their feet, little bubbles as gentle and light as fireflies sprouted free from the grass and dirt. They rose up, tickling the ears of the villagers and hanging in the air just above their heads.

Although Crystal knew they were Lillian's doing, she couldn't see them as showy tricks to liven her sermon. They were more sacred than simple smoke and mirrors. They floated on hope and shimmered with faith, leaving her chest fluffy and airy at the very sight of them.

"Please, look upon Xerneas's tree as I send her your prayers." Lillian asked of the crowd, her flippers turning her body to face their great Tree of Being.

She stood upright on her tail fin, balancing with practiced steadiness as she pressed her flippers together. A soft inhale and she began to sing. Crystal couldn't say she knew the language being sung. Perhaps it was a tongue only known to Xerneas and her priests and priestesses, but it was beautiful all the same.

Her bubbles glowed bright, excitement glittering off their glossy surface. They could not contain themselves, wanting to dance in Lillian's melodic air. Off they went to join her, bouncing and swaying in the breeze. Who knew bubbles could know joy from the smallest of places?

Lillian held one in her flippers, looking upon the little prayer with loving affection. A soft smile turned up her lips in her song, the gesture dancing in her eyes. She helped it on its way, raising it up to its floating brethren.

The bubbles formed a line, spiraling around the tree. They climbed higher and higher, moving with the priestess's crescendoing voice. And as their glow radiated brighter against the bark, a subtle glow from the tree shined back. A cerulean glow that seeped from the groves and crawled up to its branches.

Crystal felt her heart skip a beat, her breath catching in her throat and her lungs paying a moment of silence to the ethereal sign. This wasn't Lillian's doing, was it? She may have called it, but it was the tree answering to her voice.

No, not quite the tree.

From its base, Crystal could see where the glow shined the brightest, where its light flickered groggily in the hollow cavity that housed the sacred artifact. Xerneas… Xerneas was really listening.

The bubbles popped in its canopy, sprinkling their wishes onto its highest peak and the song died back into silence. Lillian lowered her arms with a breathless exhale, looking upon Xerneas's glow before she faded back into her slumber.

She gave a gentle nod and turned slowly back to the crowd. "Lady Xerneas has heard us. She has heard our voice and assures us that we'll be fine. We'll make it through this, all of us. Just a bit longer, we just have to hold out just a bit longer."

Perhaps it was because it came from Lillian, perhaps it was because it was a message from Xerneas, but the village received her words with cries of gratitude, shouting their blessings and praises to their goddess. She even saw the ursaring, once maddened with uncertainty and grief just the other day, weep silently while muttering a mantra of thank yous under her breath.

Crystal's eyes moved back to Lillian as she made her way off her stage. She watched her shuffling herself out of sight, her movements slow and stiff. She wondered if she was okay and, before the thought could finish running across her consciousness, she was already squeezing her way through the crowd.

She repeated her 'cuse mes and pardons until she broke out from the thicket of bodies. Her mind pulled back into focus, following Lillian's trail back behind the tree.

"This is why I told you not to push yourself."

Her ears flickered at the sound of Jezebel's voice, turning towards the source and following with her eyes.

"You can hardly stand. What were you thinking pulling a stunt like that?"

Lillian chuckled, her voice faint and soft, "It's not that bad. You make it sound like I'm dying."

"Lily?" Crystal looked to the two, catching Lillian's body leaning over Jezebel's back, lacking the energy to support herself.

"Oh dear," Lillian said but didn't sound too alarmed by Crystal's presence, "you weren't supposed to see me like this."

"Are you okay?" Crystal asked.

"I'll be fine after resting for a bit." she assured her, tapping Jezebel's shoulder to have the torracat lower her down.

Jezebel moved carefully, gently setting her on the grass before taking a seat beside her. Just because the brionne was no longer hanging on her back didn't mean her aid was done. Even while sitting on the solid earth, she still allowed Lillian to lean against her side.

"Calling for Xerneas like that just takes a lot out of a body like mine." Lillian continued, smiling contently as if there was no helping her helpless state.

Jezebel chewed away at her lip, biting her tongue on what Crystal could only assume were more words of chastisement. But she swallowed them down, no doubt seeing them as nothing but a wasted effort. Still, her tail tapped away, her unease funneling down to its tip and beating the earth steadily.

Lillian pressed a flipper to the feline's head, idly petting at the stripe between her ears. "But that's what I got Jesse for. She'll make sure I'm fine so no need to worry your cute little head over me."

Jezebel didn't say anything but what more was needed to be said, really. There was nothing else to it than that, the brionne hitting it right on the nose. Although, even though Crystal was sure this was already a well-established fact of life between the two of them, she did manage to spot a happy little rosy blush playing games with Crystal's eyes. Was it there? Was it just the shadows playing tricks? And was that a purr rumbling in her throat. Crystal couldn't know for sure and Jezebel certainly wasn't going to look at her to either confirm or deny the sight.

_Better leave it as a "mystery."_ Crystal breathed a soft smile onto her lips. "Guess I'll leave the worrying to Jezebel, then."

"Hey! Don't put it all on me." Jezebel said, turning to Crystal quickly.

_Got'cha_, Crystal held in a chuckle, rolling her eyes to look away from the torracat's scowl.

Lillian did not share that same restraint, letting her giggles bubble up and out to where Jezebel could hear her soft, giddy voice. But her giddiness did not last long, something popping behind her eyes and sobering her mind. "I'd be more worried about Ace than me right about now…"

Crystal's heart sank, feeling it drop into her stomach like a heavy stone. "Is her still out there?" she asked, the question flowing out slow and hesitant.

"Searching like a madman…" Jezebel answered with a short sigh, "I mean, I get it but what does he expect to find searching in a frenzy? He should have just taken it as a sign to stay home. Arceus knows he's been running himself completely ragged.

"That… might be for the best…" Lillian admitted, hiding her words behind a murmuring whisper, "Zeke could take over for him in the meantime, but running around out there like that can't be good for him…"

Crystal's eyes lowered, "This is all my fault…" The words slipped free from her thoughts.

"What is?" Lillian tried asking but Crystal quickly left, running away before her loose lips could let anymore fly from her head.

If only she had said something sooner, if only she had noticed faster, she wouldn't feel as cornered as she did now.

~uwu~

"It's not your fault, Crystal." Emizella tried comforting her, "How were you supposed to know it'd be Ruby and Garnet next?" but it was going in one ear and out the other.

"I wasn't, but that's why I had to say something sooner. Instead… I kept second-guessing myself… We could have gotten somewhere by now if I hadn't-"

"Hey," she stopped Crystal's train of thought, stepping in front of her and halting their midnight patrol. "It's. Not. Your. Fault."

"But-"

A digit pressed to her mouth, stopping her again. "You think this is something you can take all the blame for? So you didn't say anything, neither did anyone else. There's more than enough blame to go around, I can take some fault too, but don't think you can hog it all for yourself."

Crystal stayed silent, feeling everything in her brain being scared stiff under Emizella's scolding glare. She didn't think she was capable of making the riolu angry with her. Or, perhaps, frustrated was a better word for it.

Emizella moved her hand away, "You're supposed to learn from your mistakes, not let them weigh you down. My partner is better than that."

"I'm sorry…" Crystal muttered.

"Don't apologize with your words, apologize with action."

Crystal's lips opened but she held onto the words that rose on her breath. _No more apologies_, she reminded herself before she could make the same mistake again, _just do better_. She gave an affirmative nod of her head, strong and firmly set to overwrite her blunders.

The stern look on Emizella's face melted into an encouraging smile, "Good. Then let's-"

Her attention shifted to the nearby bushes, the feelers on her head standing slightly and Crystal understood why as she stared into the same shrubbery patch. That wasn't the wind rustling those leaves; there was someone sneaking around in there. She couldn't tell the level of how bad it was, whether it was an intruder of a runaway, but it wasn't getting away.

They gave a silent glance to each other. Move slow, their eyes spelled out in the air between them. They crept carefully, Crystal's stomach feeling tickled by the grass while Emizella tip-toed over every little twig and pebble in her path. Whoever it was hiding away in the bushes were in for a surprise, the two girls pouncing through the leaves and tackling down their unsuspecting target.

"Alright, alright! I give, just get off of me." their captive whined within the commotion.

Crystal recognized the voice—a good sign that it wasn't an intruder—and Emizella recognized the face.

"Jasper?!" _Runaway it is_. "What are you doing out here?"

Jasper stilled, his eyes turning away with a nervous twitch. "Oh, you know. Just hanging around…" he answered with a subtle squeak inching into his voice.

"'Hanging around'?" Emizella repeated, a skeptical brow raising at the lackluster excuse.

"Yeah, have you tried it? It's really relaxing. Good for the soul, you know?"

Emizella stared for a moment longer, contemplating something behind those narrowed, suspecting eyes. They closed in a grin, cheerful deception dripping from the smile on her lips. "Oh yeah, I think I've heard that too. Really good stuff. But you know what's even better?" _Oh, here it comes_. "Sleeping, which I think you should be doing." her voice dipped, the corners of her lips dropping and the façade fading away.

"You don't understand!" Jasper exclaimed, his legs kicking and clawing into the dirt. Futile scrapings as he didn't budge an inch from under their bodies.

"No, you don't understand! What are you even doing out here? First it's Ruby and Garnet and now you want to be next?" Emizella growled behind gritted teeth, her hold tightening over his shoulders.

"No, but-"

"How would your parents feel if you went missing too? I don't think they could handle that." Crystal told him with a slow shake of her head. Despite the firmness of Emizella's tone, she elected to use a softer, gentler approach. They both didn't need to speak harshly, he seemed old enough to make do with one.

"I know, but-"

"No buts. We're taking you home right now." Emizella declared, moving to let the growlithe up but only on her terms.

"Can't you just wait a second?"

"Wait for what? This isn't a game, Jasper. We can't afford to take this lightly anymore."

His growls rumbled louder, shaking the air until he had enough. His teeth sunk into the back of Emizella's hand, snarling as the scissor-sharp fangs locked onto her and made their message clear.

"Ow! Did you just bite me?"

"Because you're not listening to me! I have to find Ruby and Garnet myself and I… I'll bite you again if you try to get in my way." He tried to sound ferocious, adding a snarl to back up his raised hackles, but his eyes looked more desperate than anything else. Shoved into a corner and left with no other options. It was fight or flight and he was preparing to fight.

A grumble sounded in Emizella's throat but a gentle paw on her shoulder asked that she bite back the words flavoring her tongue.

"Emi… let's listen to what he has to say." Crystal said softly, eyes beckoning her friend to accept the suggestion.

"You know what Ace said." Emizella whispered back.

"We're watching him. We can spare a minute, can't we?"

They both eyed the young growlithe, his puzzlement slowly morphing the aggression pressed forcefully on his face into befuddlement and intrigue. The riolu eyed him for a second longer before sighing, unlatching her grip and letting him go.

"Alright, but only a minute."

With his unasked question answered, Jasper's tension eased off his body, shaking off its remnants before adjusting into a comfortable seated position. He tried looking back to the two letting him off easy, trying to fish for the motivation that pushed him to come this far, but the guilt and unbearable shame coming over his eyes seemed a lot harder for him to deal with than biting and growling at his fellow villager.

He couldn't look them in the eyes as he explained his late-night outing. "It was supposed to be all three of us. Ruby, Garnet and me, we were going to find something to help dad and the others close this case. Ruby thought there was something we could do that the adults couldn't and it sounded right. Only little kids were going missing so maybe only little kids could get close enough to find any clues."

_So they were thinking the same thing…_

"We couldn't have just one of us go, but if we looked out for each other, then we thought we wouldn't fall for any tricks or traps. That's… what we thought anyway. So, when mom and dad were asleep, we tried to leave, but then Rose wanted to come with us. We couldn't take a baby with us." he said, speaking as if that was the craziest part of the triplet's scheme. Honestly, the whole thing sounded ludicrously dangerous even if they were the eldest in their household. "So, I stayed behind to make sure she was safe. Ruby said they'd be back by morning before anyone knew they were gone. But…" His tears began to flow, sliding down his cheeks in relentless waterfalls of sorrow and regret. "I should have stopped her…" he sobbed, "I should have stopped them both. I didn't know that… I…" his words fumbled, crashing out in fragments and incomplete jumbles.

The pungent taste of lies; Crystal recognized the feeling.

"We just wanted everyone to believe in Dad again… We just wanted to help…"

His cries echoed in Crystal's head, a large bell dinging away in there and sending out its vibrations down her legs and into the tip of her tail. It shouldn't have been brought to this, where the youth sought to fix the errors of their world, but here Jasper was, crying at the futility of their attempt; sobbing at the mistake of believing they could make a difference. Yet, despite the misgivings born from the past, here he was, out and trying again. Crystal really didn't want to stamp this out. To let it end with just taking him home seemed like a waste of his bravery. A shame, really.

"Okay, minute's up." Emizella broke through the sniffles and sobs, startling Jasper enough to turn up his head. Crystal couldn't contain her startlement either, her head turning quickly on her shoulders.

She studied her face, her crimson irises cooled but her arms tensed as they crossed over her chest. She had been patient, holding off on the commentary and her criticisms for his promised minute. But now the limit of her self-restraint was up and she was free to speak her mind.

"First off, I don't see what you think you're going to accomplish going off on your own. At least Ruby and Garnet had each other, but what about you? Were you going to take on the kidnapper by yourself? Or were you going to pull off a daring rescue like in books?"

_Oh, she was holding back hard_, Crystal cringed, feeling the biting sting of Emizella's words and they weren't even for her. Sure, she was right but maybe she could have said it more… gently, maybe?

"I… I don't-" Jasper muttered through weak lips but bit them when Emizella held a hand up.

"I'm not finished." she told him, "It's my turn, so let me finish. You are aware that if your plan had failed, not only would everyone lose all hope in your dad but both your mom and dad would be completely crushed. I'm talking about broken beyond repair. They'll never come back from it." A deep, heavy sigh rolled out from her chest, easing her back down from her rant. "I'd say the only good part of your plan is that your heart is in the right place, but you can't go at it alone. That's why I'm going to have to come with you."

Jasper's jaw hung open, trying to find something to say but, with Emizella's final call, he forgot how words work. But Crystal kept her surprise down to a minimum. She shouldn't even feel a little bit surprised. She knew Emizella wouldn't sit around when she could do something more—of course she knew—but at the first chance of action? Crystal had to wonder if she had been biding her time waiting for such a chance behind behaving with the public safety official's rules and regulations established at this time. But what a way to turn the tables on the poor growlithe. His lips were still fumbling from the shock.

"Okay, now I'm done. Your turn, Crystal." Emizella's sudden torch toss left Crystal the next one to stumble with her own answer.

"Wha- Me too?" Crystal asked.

Emizella was kind of joking but really kind of not. There were three pokemon here. Jasper had his turn. Emizella had hers. Now Crystal had to give voice to her own thoughts too. This was too reckless of an idea not to say anything about it.

"Yeah. Now's your chance to talk us out of it. You're smart, right? You know how stupid dangerous this is, right? So c'mon, give it to us."

"You've already given plenty…" Crystal muttered under her breath. She gave a soft sigh, looking between the two of them, "Even if I tried to talk either of you out of it, there's no way you're actually going to budge, is there?"

"I'd really rather not…" Jasper gave his answer.

"No, not really." And Emizella gave hers.

"Right then. So my real options are to either come with you or tell someone else to try to stop the two of you. And you know I'm not going to tell, don't you, Emi?"

Emizella just smiled, letting the grin on her lips speak volumes without a single uttered sound.

"Right… You know, you could have just said you wanted to help instead of scaring the poor kid."

"But where's the fun in that. Besides, Jasper deserved at least a little bit of a verbal licking for trying to sneak off by himself in the first place. And for biting me." she raised an eyebrow at that, looking towards Jasper and waiting for the apology she never did receive.

"Oh, um, sorry about that." he said, getting it out of the way quickly so he could address what had come to mind after the shock that left him speechless, "But are you guys really sure about coming along? You'd be breaking the rules too."

"We don't really have a lot of options now, do we?" Crystal asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Plus, we're going to be adventurers too. If there's something we can do, then we can't just turn the other way." Emizella added with a firm nod of her head.

Crystal nodded her head in agreement, sharing the sentiment as Emizella's partner and adventurer in training. She didn't think they'd go along with the idea of using one of the children to lure their kidnapper out of hiding, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And with this being their one and only shot, these were definitely desperate times.

Jasper only had one thing to say to the two girls. With remnants of tears lingering in his eyes and a smile quivering across his lips, he muttered the familiar phrase that Crystal recognized all too well.

"Thank you…"


	14. Chapter 14

No part of this operation was going to be easy. Not a single step of it. If they were legit adventurers with an approved battle strategy, they wouldn't need to sneak past the patrolling officers through the bundles of bushes like thieves. A clear sign that they would be given a massive lecture once all of this was done and over with.

Crystal was not looking forward to it. Ace would ask what they were thinking. Scarlet would ask how they could do this under their noses. Jezebel, Lillian… Ezekiel. Ooh, Ezekiel might actually be the worst, she thought with a shiver. She imagined those eyes glaring through her soul and instantly regretted putting that vision into her head. _That kind of burn would not be pleasant at all_.

Emizella held up a hand but Crystal was too late catching the signal, lightly bumping into her back. Jasper continued into her rump, smooshing into her tail with a soft "oof" before peeking past. Crystal did the same, looking past Emizella's shoulder to see the reason for her sudden halt. A justifiable reason that made her stomach sink as Scarlet slinked past their hiding spot.

Jasper crept up to take a better look, curiosity asking what his mother was doing up so late. She walked on into a small, open office space—the public safety officers' station—but Crystal didn't suspect that she was slinking her tails over the doorway to report Jasper missing. They weren't lively enough to hint that she was even aware that Jasper was no longer in his bed. Actually, they didn't seem lively at all. They dragged over the wooden archway of the structure limply, the tiniest effort used to see her world and guide her to the pokemon she was truly looking for.

"Darling?" Scarlet whispered for her husband, a tail stroking along his stripped back.

"I'm here, Scarlet." he confirmed although he didn't reach to touch her. His paws were too busy shifting across the table in front of him, flipping through every piece of evidence he had at his disposal, no doubt.

"Are you coming home soon?" her voice got an inch louder, but it didn't sound any less exhausted in her attempt to break through her husband's concentration.

"What? Oh, yes… Yes, just… give me a couple more minutes." Ace answered, hardly present in his own response.

Scarlet's muscles drooped and sagged, ears dulling into a sullen shape while her tails dropped to the earth lifelessly. Only one of them moved from the bundle of furry appendages, placing itself onto the table and interrupting Ace's workflow.

Ace stopped for a moment, letting out a tired sigh. "Scarlet, please. I'll be home in a bit so just go back without me." Her tail didn't move from its place. "I just need a bit more time. There must have been something I missed. Something I'm not seeing."

"Ace… You're tired… Please, just come home with me."

"I can't do that." he said, pushing the tail out of his way.

"You're only hurting yourself going on like this. This isn't healthy, Ace, and I won't let you stay in this place a moment longer." Scarlet moved the tail back, lightly coiling it around his wrist.

"You don't know that…" he said behind gritted fangs.

"Yes, I do. Your mind is stressed. Your body is strained. What do you expect to do when your body can hardly keep up?"

"What do you want me to do then, huh?!" he shouted, frustration infesting his tone and forcing its way out. "You want me to sleep while all those children are out there?! While _our_ children are out there?!"

"Ace…"

"Dammit, Scarlet, why can't you see that I need to do this? I don't have time to rest when Ruby and Garnet could be-"

He stopped, realization hitting him like a bucket of ice-cold water. He was left stunned under the unbearable weight of his wife's sobs, tears flowing as freely as the streams and creeks.

"No," he whispered, that cold water chilling his head enough to let his senses steer his actions away from his impulsiveness. "No, no, no. Don't cry. Don't cry." he shushed, moving away from the table to wrap an arm around the ninetales and pull her close. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He pressed soft kiss after soft kiss into the side of her face, manic in his comfort.

Jasper tried to join, visibly distraught in watching the scene play out before his eyes, but Emizella held out her arm to stop him from getting any closer. Crystal was sure it wasn't a scene any child wanted to see, nor any parent wanted to show. The guise of parental restraint and control was washed away in this one emotional outbreak, their brave faces melting away into helplessness. It showed what they truly were inside: mortal beings full of flaws and vulnerabilities.

"I'm an idiot, babe. I'm a real idiot." he whispered. "I'm so mad at myself that I took it out on you. I didn't mean it, babe, I didn't, so please don't cry." His gaze turned upward to the stars, staring and hoping for something behind those exhausted eyes. "If I had done more… if I was a better leader, a better pokemon… then Ruby and Garnet wouldn't have been taken… I'm such a useless idiot. I really am no different from the weak, stupid growlithe I was back then…"

"Don't say that…" Scarlet sobbed, "Don't… You're a good pokemon, so don't say things like that."

"Mom's right…" Jasper mouthed the words, barely speaking the whisper, "It's not your fault, Dad, it's not…" How he wished he could have said it loud enough for them to hear.

"Come home… please?" Scarlet begged.

"… okay." Ace nodded, giving one more kiss to her forehead before turning to blow out the light of the station.

He rubbed his shoulder to hers, a tender signal to follow his lead. They stepped together, matching their paces to one another's as they walked past the trio's hiding space once more.

Crystal was surprised that they had gone undetected, but she supposed that emotional episodes like that do tend to dull the senses. Had they not been so grief-stricken, would they have been able to get past them? Crystal felt a guilty bubble pop in her stomach at the thought of taking advantage of this to sneak out of the village but she could only afford one. The ends justify the means, after all.

~uwu~

The trio managed to make it out of the village perimeter without further incident. Luckily for them, Ezekiel's focus was on the western end of the village border, keeping those sharp, piercing eyes off of them while they made their escape.

"So, what is the plan, exactly?" Crystal asked, stopping under the dense shadows of the trees to look at the two. "We only have one chance at this so we shouldn't be winging it here."

"Well, first we'll have to get whoever it is taking everyone to come out. I'm sure they won't show if they see us so we'll have to keep a bit of distance." Emizella said, her lips pursed into a line of contemplation. "If I concentrate, I'll be able to lock onto your presence without needing to see you. Crystal, you'll have to be my eyes and ears while we trail behind."

"Then, should I just wander around until I find them? Or… 'til they find me, I guess." Jasper asked.

Emizella shrugged, "Best we got. I'm sure they'll come out eventually if they see you're alone."

"Right…" he muttered, turning towards the darkened forest where the nighttime air hung heavily over the trees.

He swallowed down something. His nerves, Crystal took it. With a true unknown hiding behind any one of these shadows, the midnight forest took on an eerie tone that changed the familiar setting into a haunting stranger.

She could see the trail of the chill going down his spine, fur standing along his backside and adding a textured stripe to his already patterned coat. It wasn't like he was backing out, but he had a right to be scared, right? It wasn't anything strange to feel at least a little frightened. In fact, the weird ones would be whoever could look at their role of live bait and not feel the least bit affected about being the lure.

Crystal pressed a paw to him, feeling him jolt up at the sudden touch. For a moment, she considered reeling her arm back, but it stayed when she saw his eyes looking back at her. She committed to it. "Don't worry, we'll be watching you every step of the way." she told him, hoping her first attempt at consoling a worrying heart sounded convincing enough to be comforting. The dim glow of the new moon wasn't the most ideal light to catch the growlithe's response, but a gentle nod of his head was enough for her.

"Alright, you walk on forward and I'll focus onto you. Try to act casual." Emizella said, point a digit into the distance with a hand sharing a space beside Crystal's paw.

"Casual." Jasper repeated, "…casual…" he echoed a bit softer. His head bobbed up and down, charging himself up for probably the stupidest, most reckless thing he'd ever do in his young, growlithe life. "I swear, I'm gunna be a librarian when I get older…" he muttered in passing, letting his legs shake and tremble with his first few hesitant steps. He kept the momentum going, one step after the other until he was swallowed by the midnight shadows.

"Okay, our turn." Emizella pressed a hand to Crystal's head, "Don't let me run into anything."

"I'll give it my best shot." It was going to be her first time as a seeing-eye fennekin; she made no guarantees that she would do a flawless job.

Emizella hummed, "Close enough," she concluded, closing her eyes and starting her focus.

Her appendages rose and trembled, the golden bands shaking against the fur and glimmering ever so gently. Crystal could imagine the world disappearing in her mind, diluting into a single shade of monotone grey to leave only one perceivable presence in her mind's eye. She followed it like a beacon, wanting to keep to a beeline but Crystal swayed her body to follow a path.

Their shoulders brushed past the trees, sticky branches and clingy thorns raking across their fur. Crystal had to remind herself more than once that the fingers running along her legs meant her no harm. There was nothing to be scared of now… nothing to be scared of…

"There," Emizella's voice forced Crystal to catch her yelp in mid-transit through her throat. She felt the jolt lodge itself in her airway before she swallowed it and her scream down. Emizella opened her eyes, focusing in on the lingering memory held tightly into her vision. "Jasper just intercepted something. We're going to have to close the gap between us and fast." she told Crystal.

"Right." Crystal nodded, "You lead the way. I'll keep up behind."

It was quicker than having Emizella be encumbered by her added weight. Besides, she was confident enough that her legs would be able to keep up with hers. That her eyes could look through the darkened night well enough to keep her in her sights. That her ears were sharp enough to follow her woodland sprint. In short, she was fully capable of running with the riolu without falling behind and Emizella wasn't going to stomp on her willingness to try.

She gave a quick nod of her head, "This way, then." she said before running forward with the wind on her tail.

Crystal followed behind, quick on her heels as they raced past the trees while keeping to the soft padding of the grass. She followed Emizella's imprints sunken into the green blades, trusting their path as their quietest route.

_Fast as the storm but silent as a breeze._

_Don't let them get away; don't let them know we're coming. _

She repeated the spell in her head with each pound of her head, feeling the warmth of her blood running under her skin. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, whispering promises of power into her head. Was it bad to listen to its voice? Was it unwise? With all things considered, yes, but it did feel good to know that even she had a little voice in her head daring her to be reckless.

A soft, lavender glow broke the dark spectrum, a jarring sight to say the least but it also gave Crystal a haunting chill that stilled her body and warned her of her all too apparent mortality. And the source of that light, the little body producing that glow atop its head, gave her a sense of déjà vu that both scared and intrigued her. It was strange, how could she have any sense of playing out this scene when this was her first time seeing a litwick in this world.

"You're so far from your bed, my dear… are you perhaps lost?" the litwick asked, illuminating the space between her and Jasper who stared motionlessly—eyes mesmerized but body on edge.

"N-No," he stammered, "No, I'm not lost. I'm… I'm looking for my siblings."

"Siblings?" she echoed, her voice like the whisper someone thinks they hear riding the winds.

"Yeah, my brother and sister. One's a growlithe like me and the other's a vulpix."

The litwick thought for a moment, her little arms tapping against her waxy lips. "I think…" she started her gentle musing, "I think I have seen such a pair wandering around here."

"You have?"

_Of course she has._

"Yes, yes, I do believe so indeed. Wandering around so late into the night…just like you, my dear." She turned her eyes up to him, a kindly smile spreading across her warm face, "I told them that the woods aren't as safe as they seemed to believe. I told them that it's hard to see where the moon's light cannot reach. But they insisted that they had to help their dear father find something that could redeem his name. Such good children you have for a brother and sister."

"I guess…" his voice trailed, gaze shifting away from the litwick whose eyes bade for his attention. He lingered on the bushes, picking through the shadows of the leaves and branches to spot the pair ready to follow him deeper.

"But it's no good to make you worry. No, it's no good at all. And now here you are, out in the woods at such an atrocious hour. The cycle never ends, does it, my dear?" she asked, hanging her head with a sigh. She peeked a glance back to Jasper, "You're worried about them, right? But I assure you they're safe. I've led them somewhere where the shadows can't get to them. I can take you too... if you'd like."

"My… My mom and dad… they've always told us not to follow strangers…" Jasper said, not making it too easy less she caught onto his true intentions.

The litwick smiled again, "And right they are. Such a smart growlithe. We can't be following strangers into unknown places. But I'm no stranger, I'm a friend. Here, I'll even give you my name." She pressed a hand herself, the gentle look never leaving her face, "It's Susie."

"Susie?" Jasper parroted.

"Exactly! And I make sure all of my friends are safe. Every single, last one of them. Even your brother and sister. Because friends are precious. You can be my friend too, if you'll give me your name."

Crystal shook her head, hoping she had developed telepathy in the past few minutes that they had been out here. _Don't do it_, she repeated in her head, _don't do it_. She didn't know what the litwick could gain by learning his name but she didn't want to chance it. There was a bad feeling in giving her that sort of power, a bad feeling she just could not shake.

"I don't know…" Jasper muttered his hesitance, adding a saddened drop to Susie's face.

"You don't trust me?" she asked, staring up at Jasper for a second longer than he felt comfortable with. "No, I suppose you wouldn't, would you? Such dangerous times these are, my dear, dangerous times indeed." she mused, "Oh, why don't I show you I mean no harm? It's better than trusting my word, isn't it? You'll feel better once you see that I mean no harm."

"I, um…" Jasper's eyes drifted back to the bushes, catching Emizella's signals in the corner of his eyes. A thumbs up to say they were good to follow and a couple of back-handed swings into the air in front of her to tell him to move forward with their next phase. "…okay," he nodded to the litwick, an attempt at a smile coming onto his lips with a slight apprehensive twitch.

"Lovely. Then, if you'll please follow me." Susie threw an arm behind her, gesturing to the veil of fog settling in with a soft, otherworldly glow coloring the mist. "Don't fall behind, now." she warned him as she began walking into the clouded light, "I wouldn't want you actually getting lost."

Jasper had no other option but to follow. Well, no other option he was willing to accept and he certainly wasn't turning back after coming so far. He turned one last time to the bushes, catching the two pokemon that promised him his safety—the two that promised to take him home by the night's end. His eyes pleaded with them, begged them to keep their word. They wouldn't let him down. They can't let him down.

He walked into Susie's mist and Emizella stood out of the bushes when the litwick could no longer be picked out from the smoky white. "That's our cue." she whispered, turning her eyes down to Crystal, "No turning back."

"No turning back…" Crystal echoed, standing up with her.

They followed after them, slipping into the fog and vanishing into uncertainty. They couldn't see the fog disappearing just behind Crystal's tail, sucked into a single point until not even a wisp remained.

No turning back, indeed.

~uwu~

Crystal felt a strange off-ness walking through this mist, her eyes scanning from side to side trying to pick out the forest they came from. She tried to see the trees through the field of white, tried looking for the canopy in the ceiling of smoke, but there was nothing there as if they had crossed into someplace completely different.

She hung close to Emizella, keeping herself focused on following the flickering lavender that still glowed through the fog. As long as they kept her flame in sight, as long as they didn't fall behind, Crystal didn't have to worry about the implications of Susie's warning. She didn't have to think about what it truly meant to get lost in this place.

"What is this place?" Jasper added a voice to Crystal's unspoken question.

Susie gave a short, proud little chuckle, her soft voice carrying through the smoke and emptiness. "It's a safe place." she told him, "A place where nothing bad can get to us. Where nothing can hurt us. It is a place for my friends, where they will be safe."

"Safe from what?" Jasper asked.

Susie was silent for a moment, her pace slowing in front of her entourage. "From a great calamity." she finally spoke, the word adding a darkened edge to the mist. "I don't know when… I don't know why…but I feel it coming. A heavy disaster that only I can sense. Nobody else sees it, nobody. So I have to save you. I have to save my friends…"

The flickering of her light started to fade, their shadows passing into a portion of mist much thicker than Crystal thought possible in this already blinding place. She hurried after them, having Emizella follow her lead before they could vanish completely. Don't fall behind.

Don't fall behind!

They broke through the veil, crashing into a small space where the fog did not touch. Crystal thought it would have been heavier by the way their shadows were blurring into the fog but it was actually much clearer with wispy walls surrounding them. Wispy walls… and floating bodies.

"Ruby! Garnet!" Jasper's voice screamed, running to his two siblings suspended by small flames that pinned them to the air by their chest.

He tried to reach them, jumping desperately to pull them down, but each leap proved more futile than the last, only swiping at the air just beneath their tails.

"Ruby! Garnet! Answer me!" he cried, helpless whimpers and creeping sobs coloring his voice with panic and anguish. That anguish shifted into anger, turning to the litwick still standing behind him and snarling behind his tears. "You…what did you do to them?!"

"I've protected them." Susie answered, her voice so flat and matter of fact that it threw Jasper for a loop. Even with the children pinned to the wall of floating mist, there was still no malice to her tone, speaking obliviously like a child that doesn't know she's done something wrong. "They're still alive, if that's what you're asking. Alive and safe. The calamity can't reach us here. It can't touch us. It'll go on out there while we stay safe and sound in here. So you see, I really do mean no harm, no harm at all. You'll be safe too. I just need your name, my dear. Your name and you'll be just as safe as your brother and sister."

She moved closer to Jasper, arms outstretched and open to accept him into her world—into her protection—despite the fangs bearing at her. Perhaps she didn't take his warning seriously or perhaps she figured he was only all bark and no bite, but just her creeping closer, acting like he was no real threat, kept the young growlithe frozen in her approach.

"Back off!" Emizella shouted, dashing forward to block Susie's body from getting any closer to Jasper.

It worked, startling the litwick enough to stop her advances, "Who…" she started before noticing her second intruder keeping her from backing away. She looked back at Crystal, looked to her growling features before trying to peek past Emizella's body at Jasper. "My dear… you led others right to us? You knew they were following us and you let them?" she asked, heartbreak dripping from her lips.

"You don't talk to him. You talk to us." Emizella told her, blocking her view with a hand. "What do you think you're doing?"

Susie stared at her for a moment before deciding to answer, "If you've really been here this whole time, then you should have already heard. What a bother this is. Such a bother having to repeat myself. You won't understand, so I'll try explaining in simple terms. There's an anomaly in this world, an anomaly that will bring forth a massive calamity. Many pokemon will die from this calamity, many pokemon indeed. So, I am saving my friends, saving them from a death worse than any nightmare Darkrai can imagine. Now then, if you'll so kindly leave us, I'll get back to my work."

"You think I buy any of that?" Emizella asked, throwing the excuse away with a toss of her arm. "Even if there was something like that, how would you even know? What makes you so certain that such a thing would even happen?"

Susie sighed, "I needn't explain myself to pokemon who do not matter. To pokemon trying to stop me. To pokemon who only want to take my friends away."

"How can you still call this friendship?" Crystal spoke up, turning the litwick's attention onto her. "Even after all this, forcing everyone to stay like this, how is this still friendship? If they were awake right now, if they could see what you were doing to them, do you think they would be alright with this? That their 'friend' was keeping them from their homes and families?"

Susie looked to her, following the fennekin as she rounded her body to stand with the riolu. "This is why I didn't want to explain myself to pokemon like you. Such a pointless endeavor, pointless indeed. How do you phrase it…? It's for their own good. That's it. It's for their own good."

"This doesn't do anybody any good!" Crystal said, stomping a paw down, "Taking away their freedom doesn't do anybody any good." She watched Susie bite her lip, still stern in her belief and too stubborn to move from her position. "Susie…" she said her name, watching her flame flicker just a little higher, "You're not a bad pokemon, right? Sure, you've taken a few wrong steps, but you're not bad, right? We can move past this if you just let everyone go." she offered up a paw, a soft smile coming to her face to soothe the litwick into trusting her. "Okay?"

Susie looked to her paw, following her arm's length to her gentle expression. Warm eyes and kind lips, surely she could trust this. Surely she could, but realization dawned on her, striking her chest mercilessly and filling her golden eyes with sudden terror that made her flame flicker unsteadily.

She took a step back and then another, eyes never leaving the fennekin like she was some unpredictable beast. "It's you…" her voice trembled, "You… You're the anomaly… You're the one… The one that will bring pain… The one that signals the start of our world's destruction."

Crystal winced, her body jolting away from the ravings of the hectic litwick. _Why?_ She wondered but couldn't remember how to speak it.

Emizella looked to Crystal, unable to understand Susie's frantic utterings. "What are you-" but she couldn't finish as the litwick carried out.

"You bring our demise. Death and destruction. Death and destruction follows your wake." Her flames erupted and shrunk on her head, ranging from massive heights to nearly extinguishing on her wick. "No… nonononononono, how could this have happened… how could…" Her ramblings stopped, catching Jasper's eyes behind Emizella's shielding form. "You…" her voice pointed accusingly to the growlithe, "You brought this wicked creature into my home! Into my sanctuary! After I was nothing but kind, this is how you repay me?! You ungrateful brat!"

A ball of dark energy gathered between her arms, growing even bigger than her body before tossing the pitch-black orb at the group.

Emizella was the first to respond to the attack, gathering up Jasper and Crystal under her arms and jumping out of the way from the explosive blast. They tumbled out of the way, the ball's shadows bleeding into the mist and tainting it with the litwick's blood lust and malice. If there was ever a sign that they had pissed her off…

Susie turned to adjust her aim but stopped before a second helping could take the place of the first. "No," she whispered, "No, wait. This is good. A blessing in disguise." she switched her attention to Crystal, "The anomaly is still weak… It's still frail. I can purge it…" she concluded a smile engulfing her face in excited enlightenment. Her arms raised up, "I will purge it. I'll purge you myself!" A light consumed her form, pulling and molding her shape, "And then we'll all be safe. We'll be safe once you're gone!"

The light peeled away from her body, breaking apart piece by piece and scattering away into the air. And what form did they reveal? Not the white of her wax or the melty shape of her face, but a hard, black body, arms long and shiny like iron and face glossy like glass. Crystal wondered if she had been a litwick at all, looking much more comfortable in the body of a lampent.

Her battle cry shook her world, making the three wince and brace themselves against the shock. "This doesn't look too good…" Emizella muttered, pulling Crystal's eyes back to her, "I don't really got much for ghost types like her…"

"What do you have?" Jasper asked, though he was already regretting the question before the riolu could answer.

"Swagger."

And the regret was justified.

"I didn't know it would be a lampent of all things. I can't punch a lampent." Emizella declared with a throw of her arms to the opponent staring them down at this very moment.

_But a lampent sure can punch you_, Crystal thought, bearing the brunt of Susie's hatred and spite. _Honestly, how is that even fair_? Well, it didn't matter how fair or unfair the situation was. It didn't change the fact that they had to deal with it the best way they knew how. And, fortunately for them, Crystal did have something that could "punch a lampent."

"Actually, we can work with that." Crystal stated, letting her shivers work their way out of her body through her toes while her fur stood and fluffed up its defenses.

"We can?" Jasper asked.

Crystal nodded, "Yeah… Emi, I'm going to need you to confuse her."

"You do realize what swagger does, right?" Emizella asked, leaning over slightly to look at Crystal's steeled expression.

"Yes."

Emizella blinked at the simple response, the single syllable firmly declaring her unyielding stance. But her stunned expression didn't last long, wiping it clean off her face with a smirk.

"Right then." she said, taking a step in front of the fennekin and blocking Susie's view from her target. "Hey! I don't care if you really can sense the future or if you've completely gone off the deep end, but nobody's purging my partner, you hear?" she shouted, pointing to the lampent.

"And what do you think you can do to stop me?" Susie asked, her tone edging into mockery.

"I can do this!"

Her arms crossed over her chest, an exhale blowing from her nostrils as she focused the glare in her eyes. A red glow radiated from her crimson irises, surrounding her body in an aura that incited rage and a blinding fury. Its air could not be avoided, gripping the lampent in a madness even worse than her earlier explosion of emotion. Golden eyes took on a tint of red. The flames in the glass dome she called her head glowed bigger and brighter. And her body swayed with an unsteadiness that placed her aim on anything and everything within her reach.

Mercy was now an afterthought, and a distant one at that. Crystal knew that she'd be stepping into dangerous grounds pushing her anger into the extremes, but hopefully, she was quick enough to see more of the benefits to this plan than the consequences.

"If that's how you want to play…" Susie gathered the ball of dark energy back into her arms, the orb crackling and oozing with power, "then I'll purge you too!"

She launched the shadowy force at the two, managing to aim straight enough to throw it in their general direction. It flew towards them but would find no satisfaction in hitting either of their bodies. Emizella took Jasper and jumped out of its range while Crystal leapt high into the air, her body pushed out just a bit further by the billowing smoke of its explosion. Just fast enough…

* * *

Author's Note: Regarding Emizella and her ability to use Swagger: yes, I am aware that riolus currently cannot learn Swagger but they were able to learn it through a TM in earlier generations. Basically, if the pokemon could have learned the move in an earlier generation game, then they're free game regardless if they can still learn the move in current generation games.

Just wanted to clear that up, but aside from that, I hope you all have been enjoying the ride so far. Next chapter will be the conclusion of this arc so look forward to it.


	15. Chapter 15

Crystal wondered what name to give this feeling humming through her body. As she fell in her descent, the cold chill of the shadow ball's blast tickling the tips of her paws, she wondered how she could best describe this warm, exhilarating rush keeping her body light and swift.

It wasn't fear keeping her body moving. It wasn't desperation to keep herself safe from this infuriated lampent that wanted to see her dead. It was nothing like with the zangooses. It was nothing like when she was dealing with Axel, because she didn't feel helpless. She didn't feel hopeless.

The comfort in control.

The security in power.

The feeling of being alive.

That was it. She was alive and she planned to keep it that way.

She landed on the ground and immediately kicked off from Susie's line of sight. An easy enough feat when the lampent was still having trouble distinguishing between right and left. Her body slid into her blind spot, gaze pointing up where she hung in the air. She never had a chance to use the move in practice, but desperate times were always the best time to try something new, right?

From her head, a colorful ray blasted at Susie's underside, the beam decorated with bright rings in varying shades of pinks and reds. Fire would do her little good. Will-o-wisp: she barely knew how to use. But psybeam? Psybeam works. And psybeam hits, striking Susie down a few inches and pulling a pained cry from her body.

And, from the walls of floating children, something else was happening. One of the flames extinguished, releasing a skitty's body from the air and sending her falling unconsciously. With Crystal too busy with keeping Susie occupied, Emizella elected herself to catch the falling child, keeping her from crashing into the ground. She fell with the momentum, cradling the familiar body and keeping her from harm.

The skitty began to stir, regaining consciousness quickly now that Susie's spell had dissipated. She squirmed in Emizella's hold, the lingering shock of her capture coming back in full swing.

"Luna!" Lilac shouted, jumping from Emizella and searching around for her best friend before realizing that this was not the same scenario she last saw when she was awake. "Uh…what?"

"No!" Susie shouted, looking to the working mess that would soon flood her home. She turned back to the culprit, rage sinking even deeper into her mind, "Wretched little… Die, you pest!"

The dark orbs came back, flung without caution and flying just to hit something. One right after the other, Susie threw them at Crystal with a curse sprinkled on top for good measure. Over and over, she repeated her wish, growing more and more desperate to see it fulfilled with every miss. But they were getting closer to their mark, their aftershocks and malicious debris dusting her fur. One scorched her tail. Another tickled her cheeks.

Closer and closer until the lampent's prayers for a hit were answered. It crashed into her body, crushing her with its pressure and seeping into her chest to wrap a cold grip on her heart. She could hear her laughter echo through the void as her body was pushed aside by the attack and tossed to the ground.

_Yep, that hurt. That hurt a lot._

She tried to regain herself, tried snapping herself out of the haunting feeling lingering from the shadowy orb, but Susie would see to it that she wasn't given any rest. The red in her eyes took on a lighter shade, giving off a pink glow while a pale, violet light emitted from her body. Her body shifted, echoing like the tolling bells calling for her demise. She could not escape the rippling rings coming for her. She could not escape the illusion that the grim reaper was coming for her. And when they found her, they lined her body in a haunting aura, blanketing her heart in despair and making her cry in pain at the ringing feeling.

She felt her heart crashing into her ribcage, panic settling into the organ and simulating a painful heart attack that cruelly squeezed at her chest. Death felt like this. Death tasted like the screams leaving her mouth. She couldn't help believing in the lie, in her hallucination that Susie had done what she had set out to do.

Susie laughed harder, her eyes falling back to their golden hue and her mind settling back into her rationality. "Pathetic," she called her, "Truly pathetic, indeed. It's funny, really. I've been scared this whole time, but you're nothing. Nothing! A sack of flesh and blood, as soft as any living mortal. I should have done this earlier and save myself the heartache. An oversight on my part, indeed an oversight. But better late than never, as they say."

She cradled her arms in front of her body, nursing a growing blue flame that stirred and mixed between cerulean and cobalt. "Goodbye, Anomaly. Time for you to go back where you came from." she said, raising her arms up over her head and dragging the flame to the top of her cap.

A spiraling inferno charged towards Crystal's trembling form, an intense heat radiating from its form. All she could think to do was brace for it, hoping that it wouldn't hurt too much when she burned in those hellfires. But she didn't burn. As a matter of fact, she felt quite cool. What did burn was Emizella's scorched body, its flames lingering on her fur and biting into her flesh.

"Emi!" Crystal cried, snapping out from her delusions and pushing herself back up to her feet.

Despite how painful those burns must feel eating away at her, Emizella still forced herself to smile through it, her teeth gritting as she beared through each searing reminder of her sacrifice. "Finally snapped out of it, did you?" she asked, her voice hushed and barely keeping itself together.

She wanted to ask why Emizella would do that. How could she throw herself into such brutal flames knowing how deep those burns would sink into her? But she knew the answer. She knew it well. She shook off the needless question, pushing her stunned thoughts away and gathering back her senses.

"Yeah, sorry about that." she settled on those words, pulling herself back into the fight and refocusing on their opponent.

"It's fine. Let's try this again."

"You're a fool if you think I'd let you." Susie told them, starting up her next flame and raising it to her head to spiral and grow.

"And you're an even bigger fool if you think we're not going to at least try!" Crystal shouted back.

She called for her blast faster than Susie could launch her flames, piercing the swelling ball right in its heart with her colored beam. It burst like a balloon, popping with an echo over Susie's head and hitting her with its scattering energy. She yelped at the shock, waving off the lingering embers and billowing smoke. She regained her vision slowly, her annoyance peering through the haze, and that annoyance turned back to unbridled rage at the sight of that accursed red glow shrouding Emizella's body once more. It threw her mind back into an unbearable fury, back into that ferocious frenzy that kept her from seeing straight.

"Dammit!" Susie roared, the fire in her head practically erupting out of its dome. "Cheap tricks! I'll kill you even with your cheap tricks!"

Crystal couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her throat. She was already getting this upset at the second spell of infuriation, but she had yet to see just how cheap their tricks could go. If that was the case, then she'd show her a truly cheap trick.

"Thanks, Emi. I've got it from here." she said, her eyes not moving from her target.

"Give her hell." Emizella gave her a quick pat on that back, retreating to the children's side before she could get caught up in another one of the lampent's powered up attacks.

Crystal allowed herself a quick glance toward the riolu, hearing Lilac call her to come closer. She waved her tail over Emizella's head, gentle chimes sounding between the two while a soft glow blanketed them in a warm, healing light. Crystal didn't think the skitty would bother learning such a move but she was grateful for it, nonetheless. Now she could focus without having to worry about Emizella's burns.

And what better time to focus than having a furious lampent hurdle her dark orbs at the momentarily distracted fennekin. _Not again_, Crystal jumped out of the way, the ball falling more towards her feet than her body. She ran from the shadowy remnants, irking Susie even more to see Crystal still running energetically around her home like she was playing some twisted game of tag.

"Hold still!" Susie shouted, pulling out another shadowy orb in the space between her arms.

Before she could toss the attack at the galloping fennekin, before she could try her hand at hitting her sprinting body, Crystal added another complication that gave Susie a moment of pause. She couldn't be sure if it was the confusion fumbling with her eyes or if Crystal's body was actually split into separate entities. Every second, she was multiplying and spreading her infestation further.

Two little foxes.

Four little foxes.

Eight.

Sixteen.

Circling around and around until the lampent couldn't decide which flickering body was the real Crystal. Which of these illusions held a solid shape? Her frustration bubbled in her dark orb, its stability melting away with each second of hesitation that kept it to her body. She couldn't hold it. She couldn't sustain it. And it couldn't contain its power any longer, bursting in her arms and attacking its own creator.

Crystal watched her body falter from the corner of her eyes, slumping in her daze. She didn't let the moment fade, firing the decorated beam at the stunned lampent from all angles. From the right to the left. Forward and back. Even below wasn't safe from the onslaught of her brightly colored light show.

Every flash extinguished another flame. Every shine awoke another slumbering child. And with every dissolved spell, Emizella had another little body to catch before they made the trade for a concussion instead.

But Crystal couldn't slow down. She couldn't stop this momentum she had. _Just a bit more_, she pushed herself, _just a little longer_. She kept going until she felt the headache shoving an ice pick into her brain. Until the hammer smashed it in deeper into the furthest reaches of her mind and pushed herself further even beyond that.

The small army of Crystal doppelgangers blinked away, placing her remaining efforts in one final attack. With a cry, she fired out the last beam she had in her, a grand spectacle of shimmering lights and dancing colors that splashed against Susie's battered body. If Crystal could think of a thought long enough to see it completed, she might have called it a dazzling display to watch.

Susie was the first to fall, crashing to the ground with the rest of her small captives and Crystal wasn't far behind, letting her legs melt like gelatin in the hot sun while trying to ignore the pulsating throbs that kicked at the back of her skull with every beat of her heart. It wasn't working. Actually, they felt even stronger now that she wasn't moving around so much. _Lovely…_

"Why…" Susie muttered, her body struggling to stand again. The most it could manage was rolling her onto her stomach, allowing her to look at the fennekin with her tired eyes. "I only want… to protect my friends… Why do you stand in my way?"

"Because… I want to protect my home… The village has been nothing but kind to me… I won't let them suffer if I can help it." Crystal said, speaking through her growing ache.

"Why do you care? You don't belong in this world… You are an outsider…"

Crystal breathed out a short chuckle, "That's your opinion." she said softly, laying her head flat on the ground and closing her eyes.

She kept them closed for a moment, opening them again when she picked out Jasper's sobs amidst the excited cries of the children. She watched him press his entire body weight into Ruby and Garnet, holding them close and refusing to let them go. Their heads nuzzled together, reminding themselves of their scents and the feeling of home now that their set was made whole once more. It made it all worth it. The awful headache, the painful feeling in her chest, every echo of agony coursing through her legs, every bit of it was worth it just to see them all okay and ready to go home.

"I don't know…" Crystal started, "I don't know if what you said was true...if I truly am a mark for the end of days. But if that's the case, then I'll get strong enough to stop it… I'll get strong… and overwrite it."

Susie stared at her and laughed at the declaration with a soft chuckle. "You say that as if you have any power to change the course of events that follow you. You have no power to change anything. Nothing you do... will save anyone." Her body began to disperse, breaking away with the fading fog. Black specks of her body scattered into the air, disappearing while her laughter still rang clear in Crystal's head. "The only thing that you can do... is play by their rules." her voice floated away, high beyond anyone's reach before disappearing like a dream.

_Whose rules am I playing?_ Crystal thought for a moment, her ears lowering while her eyes tried to follow the lampent's scattered body. Mystery after mystery…why did everyone who had any idea of why she was here had to be so cryptic?

"Crystal!" Emizella called her, her voice stabbing her brain with the concern pitching her tone.

"Too many psybeams… Too little time… Please…be gentle…" Crystal groaned, laying her forelegs down on her ears to muffle the sound.

"Oh, right." Emizella adjusted her volume, "Sorry. Want me to carry you home?"

"Can you?" Crystal peaked an eye over to her, "You were hurt pretty badly too, you know."

"It's good, I lived. Besides, how else are you getting home?"

"Either crawl or just pass out here."

"Nope, not good enough." Emizella shook her head, kneeling down and scooping up Crystal's limp body and holding her close to her chest. "Alright everyone. Stick with your buddies and let's move out."

The children echoed their affirmation behind them, following along while chattering to themselves.

"You know… you can't keep carrying me like this forever." Crystal whispered close to Emizella's ear.

"The hell I can't." Emizella pouted, sounding almost insulted by the assumption, "You just lie your head back and enjoy the ride."

Crystal laughed softly beside Emizella's head, doing as she was told and nuzzling herself into the softest corner between the riolu's neck and shoulder. She'd like to see Emizella try to keep this up. Even when they're bigger. Even when they're too old for it, she wanted to see her try.

"Oh, and Crystal?"

"Hm?" she hummed.

"Good job tonight."

Crystal breathed a hum of delight, too far gone into the realm of exhaustion to notice Emizella's grip getting just a bit tighter. "…thanks."

~uwu~

Crystal's body felt so warm, like her insides were light, fluffy whip cream. Whip cream… on top of thick, airy pancakes… with strawberry jam and slices of banana.

"Crystal,"

No, crystals wouldn't taste good on them at all. Too much crunch. But cinnamon crumble might work better. A nice, subtle crunch to add a bit of variety to the soft texture.

"Crystal."

"I already said crystals don't work with pancakes." she groaned, pawing at the absurd idea and pushing it away.

"Crystal, wake up!" Emizella shouted, her voice starting up the fennekin with a jolt.

Her eyes looked around, finding Blaire's hand- hat/hair thing hovering over her body. It spilled a healing aura of her, cloaking her in a shimmering mist of goodwill and happy thoughts.

Her gaze then shifted to her side where Emizella was leaning close overhead but not so close that it impeded Blaire's work. Her hands clung tightly to her knees, fighting hard to keep her hands to herself while Blaire cleared away Crystal's aches and pains.

"How are you feeling? Blaire said you don't have any broken bones this time but you really exhausted yourself back there."

Well, her headache wasn't anywhere near as intense as it was back in Susie's domain. And the muscles in her body did feel soothed and relaxed, rejuvenation pumping through them with Blaire's gentle pulses. Of course, there was still the lingering feeling of exerting her body well past its limits but it wasn't anything unbearable. She even felt a bit stronger feeling its subtle ringing at the edge of her mind.

"I'm feeling much better, but what about you?" Crystal asked.

Emizella grinned, bringing her arm up and flexing the muscle, "You know me, I'm a lot tougher than I look."

Blaire huffed to the contrary, her eyes narrowing into a soft glare at the riolu's boastful nature that brought her nothing but trouble.

"Hey, considering my track record, a few burns are nothing."

Blaire just hummed again. It didn't really help her case all that much.

"Well, I still consider it a win."

"Do you, now?" The voice was easily recognizable, deep and booming and just ready to give the two an earful even more painful than battling Susie the lampent.

Emizella swallowed down the startling jolt that jumped into her throat, her body completely engulfed by his massive shadow. Crystal was fortunate enough to be shielded by Blaire's healing treatment but Emizella… Emizella had to feel the full weight of his disapproving glare.

"Hey, Ace…" her voice squeaked, turning to the arcanine while trying to pull her lips into the shape of a smile. Her lips were not listening.

He glowered at the two of them for a moment longer, "You do realize how much trouble you're both in, don't you?" he asked, melting away all the riolu's attempt in playing off a carefree mood. "Taking a child outside the village to lure out the culprit. Allowing my son to take on a dangerous risk that could have seen him hurt or worst. You know what could have happened if things didn't turn out as well as it did?"

"All three of us would have been trapped in a world inaccessible to any of us under normal circumstances?" Crystal asked. Probably not the best idea to fuel this fire but they were already in the thick of it, so…

The response took Ace by surprise, leaving him speechless for a second. Just a second. "Exactly. And not only would that lead us nowhere, but we'd also lose three more pokemon in one night. Each life is much too important to be taking risky gambles like that alone. You should have come to one of us first. You should have come to me first. The decisions you made last night were completely irresponsible and as the chief of our village's public safety division, I cannot condone the choices you made."

They hung their heads low. Sure, it wasn't unexpected that they'd be getting a serious talking down to by the chief but it didn't make the guilt sting any less.

"But," their eyes glanced up as Ace started again, "as a father, I can't thank you anywhere near enough. For bringing back my little Ruby and Garnet; for making sure Jasper came back home; for all the families you reunited, thank you." he said with a steady tone, but his warm eyes whispered the secret his voice wouldn't share: unshed tears, glistening bright as they reflected the morning sun in his eyes. He blinked them back, holding the emotion in check in front of the two young girls. "We'll save deciding your punishments for later so just focus on regaining your strength."

They nodded their heads slowly, a fair enough compromise considering how they broke such strict rules in the middle of a crisis. There was a sort of reassurance in knowing that a punishment was coming, in the idea that they made to through to see a punishment for their actions. But even more reassuring was the look of Ace walking back to immerse himself in the loving affection of his family. Of his body being reminded of the cumulative weight of all four of his children climbing and riding on his back. Of his heart being reminded of their hugs and their kisses and how precious they were to him. He did let his tears flow for them, sharing them with his wife and children and letting all the stress and heartache melt away with each shared drop.

"We did that…" Emizella leaned closer to Crystal, whispering the bit of pride she still held despite their scolding. "You and me, we did that."

Crystal looked from Emizella's little grin to the reunited families clinging together, desperate to never fall apart. From Ace and Scarlet's happy little bundle to Janice and Damien's youngest little treasure. From the one thing Nova ever needed in her life to the ursaring mama that would tear apart the world for her little angel. Each smiling face, each sigh of relief, each loving embrace Crystal could catch in her vision at this very moment, they did this. They alleviated the gloom and despair plaguing the village and brought back hope, love and trust to the village's heart.

_We did that…_

"I want to do it again…" Crystal whispered, letting the desire fly free from her heart and into the world.

"Yeah, me too." Emizella whispered back.

Crystal knew Emizella could tell how deep this addiction to help others was burrowing into her very being. How the sense of good she felt from seeing these happy expressions was digging its way into her soul.

She supposed that's what made them a good fit for each other. And she was in much too deep to have it any other way.


	16. Chapter 16

"I really don't think this is such a good idea…"

"Why not? You could use the practice. And it isn't like I'm doing much else."

"You're not doing much… so you want me to try burning you… This is a new level of boredom, even for you."

Crystal couldn't blame her at all for this new bout of recklessness. A month of house arrest. A whole month of having Carl waiting just outside their doorway to make sure neither Emizella nor Crystal even thought about leaving before their month was up.

It wasn't so bad, Crystal thought of it, using the time to practice her summoning and manifestation skills. But Emizella was starting to feel cramp and constricted within her own home. _The poor girl, she really needed a good walk at least three times a day to feel sane._ Crystal supposed that was where this sudden insistence to use her own body as a practice dummy came from. On the one hand, Crystal was grateful for the help in honing the final step of her new move. On the other hand… this was plain madness.

"Look, I haven't completely lost it." Emizella continued to persist, "I've got some full heals and rawst berries to take care of the burn. I'll hardly feel it!"

Crystal pursed her lips, "You sure?"

"Positive! Now c'mon, show me what you got!"

Crystal gave a short sigh. She wondered if a better friend would have tried talking her out of it a bit more. She wondered how much better that kind of pokemon would be if she didn't understand who Emizella was: a bit stubborn and proud and insisting to have things her way. It wasn't "using" her, it was "sparring" with her opponent refusing to move from her grounded stance.

Maybe she'd feel a bit better if Emizella wasn't standing still like a dummy…

"Alright," Crystal decided to give in to the riolu's demands, taking up her generosity and focusing her mind on utilizing it to the fullest.

She let out a slow, easy breath, eyes taking on a subtle glow while her mind painted a picture of fluttering little bundles of light flickering to life. The first one stumbled into existence with a tumble, steadying itself once Crystal got back into the groove of pulling its strings. Like Lillian's bubbles, Crystal couldn't help feeling a sort of fondness for the floating flame, studying its calming hues that didn't seem as ghastly to her anymore. No longer a haunting entity but, instead, a small piece of her—a twinkle of her power.

Crystal pulled another gout of fire from her imagination, and then another, and another until she had a small ring dancing and hovering around her body. She felt a warm tingle in her head with every little push and pull, a gentle little pinprick telling her where each little light floated around her.

She looked between them, "I bet I could make them dance if I practiced hard enough." she thought aloud in a soft whisper.

"Dreaming big, I like it." Emizella interrupted her short trance, pulling Crystal's attention back to her waiting figure. "But let's focus on hitting a target first."

Crystal felt her heart squeeze with embarrassment. "Right," she chuckled sheepishly, "baby steps…"

She tuned her mind into that little tingle, paying careful attention to their positioning. All she had to do was will them to move where she wanted them to. All she had to do was get them to obey the command to attack. But they were flighty little things, either missing their target completely or vanishing before they even got halfway.

Scarlet made it look so easy. Her flames were well behaved and determined to please. Crystal's, on the other hand, were new and very clumsy, but they tried. Crystal liked to imagine they tried. They put forth their effort to follow Crystal's will, flying towards Emizella with no semblance of order. They were scattered like unruly children making their way to the same destination, and when they reached the riolu, they linked around her body in a messy fashion.

The little orbs of fire wound themselves tighter, squeezing together and disappearing into Emizella's body. The glowing in Crystal's eyes ceased, her control stopping once the last of her flames were transferred over.

They definitely transferred something into Emizella, leaving her body with a reddened tint that covered her from the tip of her ears to her toes. She looked down at her hands, checking the new shade that blossomed and colored her fur.

"So… How do you feel?" Crystal asked with a soft, curious tilt in her voice.

Emizella thought about it a second longer before her body winced, the tint flaring up and biting into her. It flashed brightly for a moment, sending the riolu to her knees and gritting her teeth to bear through the pain. The intensity soon faded but the ailment was still there sitting on her body, waiting to flare up again.

"Emi!" Crystal went over to her side. So much for hardly feeling it…

"I'm good, I'm good." she insisted, holding up one hand to stop Crystal's fretting and another to pick up the bitter-tasting remedy to cure herself. She bit into it, her nose scrunching up at the flavor coating her tongue but she ate the medicine without any further complaint. It was instantly taking effect, washing away the red and leaving her fur rich and bright again. She breathed a short breath of relief, "That has some kick." she commented, "It's getting better. A bit more control and you'll have it mastered in no time."

"Yeah… I wish I could ask Scarlet… It feels like forever since I spoke with her properly about them. I'm going to develop bad habits…" she murmured mostly to herself, feeling her paws drag out from under her to flop her down flat on the ground where the tips of the grass blades tickled her nose.

"Nothing wrong with a few bad habits, is there?" Emizella asked, walking closer and crouching down in front of Crystal. She played with the tops of her ears, lightly pinching them between two digits and making them sway and dance on top of her head. "If it's not hurting you, then it's not so bad, right? Like a signature or something. Besides, I think your will-o-wisps are way more adorable than Scarlet's."

Crystal stared up at her past her ears that were pulled forward to block her view. She knew it wasn't all just flattery that flavor her words with a honeyed sweetness. Sure, she liked to butter her up, liked seeing her melt under such generous praises, but it wasn't like there was nothing genuine about them. She picked at only the pieces that she truly believed in and amplified it up by a thousand with her charm and kind, beaming smile. What else was she supposed to do against the riolu's antics but accept them.

"You know that tickles, right?" she stated behind the light rosy flush dusting her face while her ears were pulled to block her eyes.

"Does it really?" Emizella asked, sounding truly surprised by the fact.

"Mostly," Crystal answered, standing and shaking her grip off along with the fluttering feeling in her chest. But maybe tickle wasn't really the right word for it. There was a bit of a warm buzz pulsing from Emizella's pinching. It was still lingering under her skin, making her start to scratch at it with a ferocious abundance of kicks.

She caught Emizella messing with her own ears in the corner of her eyes, her leg stilling to turn her attention to her. "Maybe it's a size thing…" Emizella mused, pinching at their small, triangular shape but not getting nearly as much fire going as Crystal felt in her own ears.

"Who knows, maybe they're just sensi-" she stopped herself before she could finish the damning word, something screaming in her head to not give the riolu such a powerful weapon.

Emizella turned her head, "Were you saying something?" she asked.

_Bullet dodged…_ "Nothing at all. You're probably right, it's just a size thing." she said, waving the conversation away before they could round around back to it again.

Emizella gave a soft hum before shrugging her shoulders. She lowered her hands, "So, you ready for another go?"

"Wait, you want to go again?"

"Of course! You still want to work on it, right? Right here! C'mon." Emizella patted her chest, ready to take on the brunt of Crystal's flames and their curse once more.

"I do but… don't you think you've had enough for today?"

"Hm? Not at all." Emizella answered, blunt and unconcerned, "You can burn me way more times than that. Don't worry, I can take it."

"Hey Carl," a voice interrupted Crystal's protests before they could properly form in her mouth.

"Oh, Jezebel. What are you doing out here?" their guard responded, pulling their eyes to the doorway as they stared with curious anticipation at the promise of something new.

"I've got some business with the two 'convicts.' Mind stepping aside? It's pretty important stuff."

"Depends, how important are we talking?"

There was a moment of pause while the torracat's heavy paws shifted her closer to the doorway and, presumably, the watchog in charge of making sure they were staying put. A mutter was shared between them, Jezebel's murmuring voice spilling into the air where no eavesdroppers could pick out their little secret. Well, no eavesdroppers with ears small enough, but it seemed like Crystal's ears were made for picking up whispered secrets.

"The responses from the guild were delivered just today."

"Seriously?!" Carl's voice blurted out followed immediately by an urgent shush. Crystal could see him slapping a hand to his face with the swift smack that came in tandem.

"You get it, right? Ace is willing to cut their punishment short for this so you won't get any trouble for letting them out early."

"I…I got it…" The leaves crunched under his feet, the weight of his shadow leaving their entranceway and making room for their visitor to pass through.

Jezebel squeezed herself pass the leafy opening, swinging her head past the branches that bent to her muscled frame. "Did this place shrink or something? Why does it feel even smaller?"

Emizella moved aside slightly, moving closer to Crystal and offering a bit more space for the feline. "It's the same size it's always been." she said, crossing her arms but altogether happy to see her face. "Maybe you're just getting bigger." she smirked.

"Hmph," Jezebel huffed, taking a seat and making a show of flexing her arms, "Guess I can't argue with you there. I'll forgive you this time."

"How generous." Emizella rolled her eyes, shaking her head and giving a sideways glance towards the fennekin sitting beside her. Can you believe this cat, her eyebrows seemed to quirk, pulling a soft giggle from Crystal's chest.

"But that's not even the half of it." Jezebel spoke up again, "Elder Pines wants to see the both of you and has asked me to personally escort you back."

Crystal did her best to feign ignorance, "What does he want to see us about?"

"Can't say," Jezebel shrugged, "just that it's very important and he wants us to hurry back." She turned back towards the entryway, a paw pushing the leaves aside for their departure. "Now enough talk, let's get going."

~uwu~

Jezebel led them quickly back to the village, ignoring the shouts and hollers for attention as they made their way down the village path. In her mind, there was no time to allow the pair to receive thanks and endless gratitude that stayed strong over the past few weeks. No time for bounding greetings and skipping hellos either, proceeding down her beeline to the village hall where more important matters were waiting for them.

"No squirts past this point." Jezebel leapt back to the rear, cutting off the curious crowd of children that followed them this far with their chatterings and happenings.

"I'm not a squirt." a teddiursa pouted, stamping his feet at the insult.

"Then no brats. Shoo, off with you." she nudged him away with the back of her paws, clearing them out so no little noses or toes were caught in the closing doors. She breathed a short sigh of relief when the excited murmurs began to fade away, the children going back to resume what they had been doing before. Although, the slack in her shoulders wouldn't last long, an "ahem" putting tension right back into her spine.

"Jesse," a warning tone pulled the torracat's nervous gaze back towards the brionne waiting inside, "don't you think you were a bit rude back there?"

"I-It's not what you think. Me and Angello, that's just how we do. I was just joking with him, that's all. He'll get me back for it later, I swear." Jezebel did her best to defend herself again Lillian's scolding stare, a smile yanking at the corners of her lips to mold a matching expression.

"Really?" Lillian's eyes narrowed to a dangerously slim degree.

"Yeah, he knows I was just messing with him."

Lillian gave a soft hum, staring through the cold sweat and anxious twitch flicking at Jezebel's tail before her eyelids fell into a grin. "Is that so? I'm glad to see you getting along so well."

Jezebel released her held breath.

"And speaking of…" Lillian's attention turned to Crystal, sliding over to her quickly and wrapping her flippers around her body in a tight embrace. "Oh, my precious floof. How have I managed to live so long without you in my life?"

"Greatest mystery known to pokemon kind…" Crystal squeaked, her back legs barely touching the ground while Lillian continued to squeeze and hug and sway her body from side to side.

"Indeed. It shall stump my descendants for generations to come." she gave a troubled sigh colored with zestful tones of heartache.

Crystal felt a set of hands tucking themselves under her arms and then a pull to pry herself out of Lillian's grip. "Touching reunions aside," Emizella said behind her, setting all four of her paws back down to the floor, "Jesse has been teasing at something really important waiting for us, so…"

"Oh right! Sorry about that. But Jesse wasn't overexaggerating or anything like that. It is, indeed, very, _very_ important."

Lillian took up the reigns, leading them further into the village hall through a corridor of painted portraits. Founding mothers and fathers and their families huddled close together within their frames to bear witness to every step they made, watching them as they were escorted to the set of double doors waiting for them at the very end.

Jezebel rounded to Lillian's side, assisting the brionne with pushing the wooden slabs open with a soft huff and a grunt. The heavy doors milked every second of the moment, cultivating anticipation with every ounce of effort that went into sliding them apart. And for their reveal: a small gathering of Elder Pines and his two leading security officers talking amongst themselves up to Lillian's announcement.

"Elder, Emi and Crystal are here."

"Oh yes. Good, excellent, thank you Lily. And Jesse, thank you for making the trip out to fetch them." the old trevenant turned his smiling gaze towards the door, nodding his head at the job well done.

Jezebel waved a paw, "You don't have to thank me for something that small, Elder." she said, settling by the door, "Besides, there's no way I was going to miss being a part of this."

"Okay," Emizella interjected, raising a hand up to excuse the interruption, "can somebody _please_ clue me into what's going on here? Between these two's teasing," she pointed between Jezebel and Lillian, "and Crystal clamming up the whole way here, I'm starting to think I'm the butt of a joke."

"That's not it at all." Crystal told her, nudging at her side gently to pull her down from her huff, "It's something too important to spill prematurely. I had to clam up."

"'Had to'? Wait, how do you know about it? Nobody was supposed to say a peep!" Jezebel exclaimed, her hackles rising into a fiery pyre.

Crystal turned to look at her, smiling an apologetic smile as she gestured to her ears, "Sorry… I can't really turn these off so I kind of heard what you were muttering to Carl earlier."

"Ack!" her flames extinguished with a defeated sizzle, "So then…you…"

"Jesse!" Lillian whined, her cheeks inflating behind her pursing, pouting lips while her tailfin tapped away against the floor, "You let it slip too early. Neither of them were suppose to find out till now!"

"To be fair, I'm still not one hundred percent sure what all is going on." Crystal corrected.

"I'm not even _ten_!" Emizella declared, throwing her arms up in her dismay.

"Then I suppose I better cut to the chase and alleviate that frustration of yours." Elder Pines spoke up again, putting their attention back where it truly belonged.

Although he didn't look disturbed in the slightest, his jagged smile never leaving his face, a guilty look plagued the youngsters' eyes.

"Sorry, Elder Pines." Lillian apologized.

"Sorry…" and Jezebel did the same.

"It's quite alright. This is an exciting time after all. It's not every day we get mail from the Adventurers League Guild." he said with an amused chuckle.

"Mail from the guild?" Emizella asked, this new turn of events being just the right step in improving her mood, "For who?"

"Why, for you, of course." he laughed again, reaching into the bundle of leaves that cuffed his wrists and pulling out two envelopes from the tangled overgrowth. "And one for you too, my little busybody."

He handed them over, one to each of them, and stepped back to watch them examine the envelope. Emizella studied the print on the front, her eyes squinting to pick out the small details before flipping it to look at the wax seal. Their emblem was stamped into the crimson material, the initials "ALG" raised within a diamond shape. It all seemed legit but Emizella kept a scrutinizing eye on the paper bundle.

"Go ahead. Tell us what it says." Elder Pines said, his weathered, old voice edging into excitement for what lied inside.

Emizella raised her head, nodding at the request and peeling the wax up to open the flap. Crystal couldn't help ignoring her own letter. Her eyes fixed themselves on the riolu, her mind already set to record the moment into her memory.

Emizella's dream. Her dream was etched onto that paper, its fate determined within those written words. Crystal couldn't miss this. What kind of partner would she be to miss this?

The letter was pulled free from its bindings and opened to its full length. She began to read:

"Dear Miss Emizella,

"We have received your letters of recommendation and testimonies to your character. After reviewing your reputation within your community, we have found you to be a brave, loyal, and dedicated individual. Such individuals are what we seek in our adventurers and so we are happy to offer you-"

Emizella stopped, a hand pressing to her mouth as her eyes began to glisten, wet with tears that she fought to hold back. "This… this can't be real, right?" she asked, holding the letter close to her chest and wrinkling it against her body. "This is an invitation to the internship exam but… but I never applied, did I?" She turned to look at Crystal, "Did I?" she asked again, thinking it completely possible at the would do such a thing while being completely unaware of her actions and surroundings.

"Not that I know of…" Crystal breathed out in a soft whisper. She wasn't really one to do much of anything in her sleep aside from squeezing Crystal like a living pillow.

"I know we might have surprised you with this but please understand that each and every one of us truly believe that you're ready for this next step. You've come so far since your brother moved away, and after what you and Crystal have done for us, we agreed that it was time you both officially tested yourselves." Elder Pines explained, gesturing to the small gathering who played a hand in letting the guild know about their little home-grown heroes.

Emizella looked between their faces, "No way… you guys really wrote letters of recommendation for us?"

"Yep!" Lillian answered for them, "Everyone here wrote one for both of you while I gathered several testimonies from the villagers. They were more than happy to share a few good words about you."

"Everyone here did?" Crystal asked, her eyes turning up to Ezekiel and his hardened face.

Of everyone in the village, she never really understood him the most. Actually, it felt like he didn't want to be understood beyond the gruff person he always shoved to the forefront. Scowling eyes and scowling lips, he was content being known as the village grump. At the worst, Crystal figured he had no interest in her, never paying any actual attention to her as long as she didn't get to close to the sacred tree by herself. But now she was hearing that he was paying attention, and not only paying attention but also having some nice words to say about her.

She didn't know what kind of face she was making at the luxray, but it sent the scowl even deeper into his brows. "Stop that." he ordered, "Don't get the wrong idea. The only reason I wrote anything for you was because Ace insisted I say something as a pokemon of influence. All I put down was that you had potential and you were tougher than you looked behind that meek demeanor, nothing more."

Lillian chuckled behind a flipper, "That's what you say, but I'm sure Crystal's letter will speak way more volumes."

"Oh!" Emizella turned to her, "Right, don't leave us in suspense. What does yours say?" she asked, leaning over to look at the still-sealed envelope.

"Sure, let me just…"

She began working her paw under the envelope's flap, pulling at it and pushing through the seal to break it open. Paws did not make going through mail easy but she didn't want to ask any of her more dexterous friends for help. Half the joy of whatever was inside would have been lost if she didn't open this herself, so she worked the last fold open without complaint and crouched over the paper to keep it from folding back.

Crystal was barely a line in when she heard Emizella's prodding. "So?"

She flicked a glance back to her hovering companion before continuing on with her own personalized message. The letter called her kind and thoughtful based on the stories given by the villagers. It called her dependable and trustworthy, referencing the testaments to her character. With those reasons, the author of the letter extended an invitation to her as well, finding her a worthy enough candidate to test if she was truly fit to join the big leagues.

Crystal read it again and then a third time just to be sure she was reading it right. The words remained unchanged, clear and unmistakable. "They're inviting me too." she answered, her voice sounding soft hanging over the letter.

Lillian hid her smile behind a flipper, "'Nothing more,' he said. Looks like you were pretty convincing even with a minimalist letter like that."

"Knock it off." Ezekiel warned with a low growl.

"Well," Crystal interrupted the rumbling in his throat, lifting herself back up while still holding the letter down to the floor, "whatever it was you wrote, thank you… all of you. It really means a lot that you would go out of your way to do this."

Ezekiel huffed, turning his attention away from her smile. No doubt, he was thinking she was being much to appreciative of simple works and exchanged messages. All he did was write on a piece of paper what he had seen and noticed from her for the past few months. There was no need to get so mushy. But he didn't have the tact to say that without spoiling this exciting moment. Ace, however, Ace was used to saying things in just the right way.

"Come now, there's no need for all that. You girls did most of the work. Had you two done nothing so noteworthy, there wouldn't be much to say, now would there?" he said, smiling his big smile that made his large frame so warm and reassuring. "Give yourselves some credit."

Crystal let those words sink in, taking them and putting them into practice. She remembered what Emizella whispered to her when they got back home, letting it ring and sing in her chest. "_We did that_."

She can feel proud about that. She had every right to feel proud about what they did—about what they _could_ do. And after this exam, after they became professionals and after they placed a few more notches in their belts, there was no telling what more they could do.

Her head nodded, her lips too giddy in their smile to say much else. She felt Emizella's arms wrap around her, lifting her up in a tight hug strengthen by the excitement threatening to make her heart burst. She rubbed and nuzzled into her fur, humming and buzzing and tickling her all the while.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it. This is actually happening. We're going to be actual adventurers. Real, professional adventurers." Emizella muttered away into Crystal's soft body.

Well, there was still the exam to worry about, but nobody was willing to add that into her ramblings. Let her ramble away in her bursting excitement. Let her squeeze and jump Crystal's body as much as she wanted. Her future starts now. Their future starts now, so let her enjoy this high moment in her life where her dreams were endless and the horizon looked infinite.


	17. Chapter 17

According to their invitations, the pair would have to make their way to the nation's capital city to participate in the adventurer's internship exam. Now, the capital city, as Crystal's mind recalled it, was a massive concrete jungle as far off from their humble village as it could be. It's where dreams go to either live and soar or sink and die. An intimidating place, but it wasn't like they would be alone.

Janice insisted that they look up her daughter when they got there, promising that she'd be more than generous to keep them afloat in the unpredictable current of urban living.

"She runs a boutique in the town square called Plush. You can't miss it." Janice explained to Crystal, handing her a card with the necessary information about her daughter's business.

"Thanks, we'll be sure to do that." Crystal nodded, smiling up at the delcatty while her paws placed the card into her bag.

Janice eyed the article by her side, its midnight colors still beautiful and vibrant to Crystal's untrained eyes but the designer could see that the sun and the earth had worked hard together to make them fade. She gave a short chuckle, "By time we see you again, you'll be needing a new one." she said, pointing to the gift with proud affection in her eyes.

"Huh?" Crystal looked down at it, staring at the still intact edges and its sturdy seams, "You really think so?" she asked.

"Oh, I know so, darling. With how fondly you carry it around and all the places it'll see on your journey, it won't be long until it's ready to retire. We'll have to make you a stronger one when you get back, one befitting a professional adventurer." she told her, a bubbly excitement dotting her refined voice with bouncy little pops.

Crystal couldn't say no to her offer, not even a little for modesty and politeness's sake. "In that case, thank you very much in advance. I'm sure I'll love it." she said with a gentle sway of her tail.

She wondered what she had done in her past life—who she was in her past life—to feel as fortunate and blessed as she did right now. She wanted her mind to bathe in this happy feeling, to let her thoughts soak itself in every pleasant interaction she had in this place. But the brighter that light shined, the sharper and more defined the shadows became.

Susie's words echoed from the back of her memories, echoing deep from her subconscious to remind her of her warning. _"You signal the destruction of our world." _But she didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't want to think that her mere existence _could_ hurt anyone._ "Nothing you do will save anyone." _

_No, not right now._ Crystal shook it away, _Not today._ _Today, we're happy. Today, we'll only think happy thoughts. Happy thoughts…_

"Crystal?" the familiar voice of her teacher broke through her mental mantra.

Its gentle, encouraging sound gave Crystal something else to think about, something more hopeful than a supposed prophecy to the end of the world. She'd take Scarlet's soothing voice over worrisome ramblings any day.

"Scarlet!" she called her before those fluffy appendages found her face. She giggled as they tickled her nose, "Down here. I'm right here."

"Oh," Scarlet's tails rose up and her body settled, "Sorry about that."

Crystal shook her head, "Don't be. I'm honestly going to miss your tails." She truly would. What with their plump softness and luscious, rich feel, she was going to miss them feeling for her and sliding over her. She'd miss her teacher's little reassuring touches and the way she'd tenderly remind her that she would be okay during every one of their sessions. "I wish I could have trained more with you before I had to go. There's still so much more I wanted to learn." she confessed.

Scarlet's smile softened, "That's good. It's always good wanting to continue to learn and grow. But I've taught you the basics, now it's time for you to learn and carry on from me."

"But is it enough?"

"Tell me, Crystal, are you scared? Are you still just as scared as when we first met?"

"…no."

Scarlet breathed out a short laugh, "Then its more than enough." she said in a kind, soft voice, cradling Crystal's ears with its nurturing touch while a paw petted and stroked her head. "As long as you're not afraid, then it's enough. As long as you don't let fear keep you down and as long as you continue to rise up to meet it head-on, then I know I've taught you all I needed to teach."

Crystal stared up at her for a moment before colliding her face into Scarlet's downy stomach, letting her fur hide her tears and soft sniffles. She was grateful Scarlet showed no surprise over the sudden solid force pushing into her, remaining still and soft for the silently weeping fennekin.

"You'll be just fine…" Scarlet whispered, an arm wrapping around Crystal's back while her tails gave her one last memory of their warm, calming embrace.

"…thank you…" she murmured against her body, taking in a deep breath to settle her nose before moving away to dry her eyes.

When her vision cleared and her eyes shimmered their pristine summer sunset hue, she took in Scarlet's towering, graceful figure. She engraved the look of those distant eyes that couldn't see a thing but understood so much. This was her teacher. No matter who she learned from, no matter what levels she reached beyond her lessons, she would always be her teacher. And Crystal would always be her student.

"It's truly been a pleasure." Scarlet nodded, her tails loosening the grip on Crystal's small body until she was fully out of their reach.

The short walk it took to get from the shopping area to the corner of the village square where the scared Tree of Being slept away peacefully was enough paces to get in a few more deep breaths to help quell the bittersweet feeling in her heart. Crystal wondered if she had ever been good at goodbyes, if she had always been one to cry at farewell. Her mind could tell her that it was fine all day long. It could repeat for her that the goodbye wouldn't be forever, only until next time. But it didn't help it feel any less sad. At least it was good motivation to not come back a failure. What would be the point in all these tears if she didn't have anything at all to show for it?

She looked on ahead at the sky carriage that would be taking them far past the forest and this village towards their future. _Such a simple little black box…_ Crystal overheard that there were larger sizes for bigger passengers but its small size didn't deter the excitement of the children gathered around its sleek, clean body. A pidgeot, their pilot for the trip, leisurely sipped away at Elder Pine's offering, idly chatting while she rested her wings before her flight.

"Okay, okay. Any more and we'll be over the weight limit." And there was Emizella, packing away the last of their things into the cargo hold, stuffing in the last sack before slamming down the door with a firm click.

"You sure that's everything?" Tim asked, a green claw pressing to him pondering lip.

"I checked it, double checked it and triple checked it." Emizella counted off on her hand, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure we've got everything."

"But-"

"Leave her alone, Tim." his sister pulled at him before he could offer her any more gifts for their trip. "Give her anymore and you'll be putting a dent in our inventory."

"You know how expensive the city is. They overcharge everything there. It's best to stock them up now while it's free than have them pay those exorbitant prices."

"Believe me, we're stocked up, alright. We'll be fine, this is more than enough." Emizella declared with a couple gentle slaps to the cargo door, a thick thunk sounding behind the metal sheet.

"You see? Now c'mon, before you try giving her our entire store." Kim pulled at her brother's arm, dragging him away despite his skipping steps.

"Alright, you don't have to pull so hard. Slow down a bit, will you?" Tim complained to his sister.

They both passed Crystal on their way back to where she just came from. Kim gave a short wave, "Good luck out there." she smiled with her brother's body kept just a bit closer to her.

"If all goes well, expect a congratulations package from us." Tim added immediately after, pointing out the fact before he was pulled away and back towards their livelihood.

Crystal giggled at the pair, still hearing Tim's griping over how his sister was going to pull his arm off while Kim was insisting that he was just as bad as their dad. She shook her head slowly, _such are the joys of working with family_, she supposed.

Her attention turned back to Emizella, catching her creeping herself over to Ezekiel who kept away from the small farewell get-together, hiding beneath the shade of one of the bordering trees. Laying down as he was, his dark fur blended perfectly well with the deep, layered shadows, keeping his eyes closed so their rich, golden hue wouldn't give him away. Every inch of him silently pleaded not to be bothered, but Emizella had something to say that was too important to pay his body language any mind.

His ear twitched before she got too close, an eye peeking open and stopping her in her tracks with its penetrative gaze. "What do you want?"

"Why do you think I want something? Can't I just come over to say goodbye?"

He stared at her for a moment before standing up, his body turning towards the tree to find his peace and quiet up in its branches. "Okay, bye then." He bent forward, getting ready to leap up to the first branch but keeping each motion meticulously slow and calculated.

"Okay, so I _do_ want something." she admitted.

His shoulders relaxed and his body rotated back, "See what honesty gets you?" he asked, seating himself back on the ground. "What is it?"

Emizella hummed, "You were an adventurer, right? So you already passed the exam. What was it like when you took it?"

"I can't answer that." Ezekiel said quickly, "Everyone who takes the test has to swear to never talk about the nature of it to anyone. It would be an unfair advantage, otherwise."

"Seriously? You can't even give me just an itty-bitty hint?"

He grumbled, mulling over it in his head for a short time. He began to stand again, turning back to the tree to properly leave the question unanswered. At least, that's what it looked like from a distance, but Crystal could hear him mutter one last piece of advice for the riolu. "As long as you both don't lose sight of yourselves, you'll have nothing to worry about."

And then he was gone, running away into the canopies and stepping across branches to get even further away. Crystal could still hear him making the leaves rustle and shake when she joined Emizella's side, but her eyes couldn't pick him out between the thick bundles and green summertime bunches.

"Looks like he got away." Crystal noted, leaning closer in her whisper while her eyes continued to stare into the same place as Emizella's.

"He's a slippery one…" Emizella said under her breath, "But he said way more than I thought he was going to so that's good. You heard him, right? With those big ears and acute hearing." She grinned impishly, her digit's threatening to tease Crystal's ears with little pinches that crept closer and closer with every menacing chuckle.

Crystal's forelimbs wrapped themselves over her head, pressing her ears flat over her forehead before Emizella's digits could make contact. Her lips pouted and her eyes stared up at the riolu cautiously. Even without mentioning their sensitivity, their size alone made them a prime target for Emizella to pick on. Their large shape was just too tempting and fun to leave them alone.

"Aw, why you gotta look at me like that? I wasn't going to do anything mean to them. I was just going to show them some love and affection. Like this," Her hands changed up their tactic, moving to Crystal's cheek and the underside of her jaw. They sunk past the clean white fur, scratching gently at her skin. Not hard enough that it irritated her but not so soft that she couldn't feel it. "See?" she asked, pulling Crystal further away from her defenses with every tender scritch.

Crystal really did try to keep the fluttering feeling from erupting from her chest. She really tried keeping her face strong and stern and uninterested in her little scratches. But there was this one spot, this one spot that Emizella would brush over every other second, that made it impossible to keep those tingly little pinpricks from tickling the base of her spine and demanding that he tail show her immense appreciation for the attention.

Through her slacked jaw, Crystal managed to mutter, "Alright, I believe you… Now quit it before my legs give out."

Emizella's hands retreated, pulling back to her body and surrendering with her palms up. It didn't save Crystal from stumbling a few steps forward, the lingering sensations taking a long while to work their way out of her body. She was much too small for so much stimulation…

She tried shaking out most of the remainder and sighing out the rest but both attempts couldn't rid her of the soft buzzing that hummed just beneath her skin. She turned her eyes up at Emizella, hearing her trying to restrain her snickers behind a tightly pressed hand. _Just you wait,_ Crystal plotted away behind narrowed eyes, _as soon as I have hands, I'll pay you back triple._

"What's so funny over here?" Lillian asked, scooting up closer to the two with Jezebel stepping by her side. There was a smile pulling at her lips, familiar yet different. Off in the smallest way that made it feel more like an imitation than the real, genuine article.

"Nothing much. Crystal's just being cute again." Emizella answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"More like Emi's having too much fun by herself." Crystal corrected, turning her nose up at the riolu's inaccuracies. "But where have you been, Lily? I thought we were going to end up missing each other."

"Oh, I was just… taking care of a few things… It took a bit longer than expected…but I wasn't going to miss saying goodbye." she said, pushing herself to say the words with her cheery disposition but faltering with every shaky breath.

Crystal felt her body shrinking, feeling her muscles pull themselves together in a small ball of concern. "Lily? Are you okay?"

"What?" Lillian's smile fell away for a second before she pulled the corners of her lips back up again, "Of course I'm okay. I mean, why wouldn't I be? This is a happy day! You two are going to the capital city and becoming big-time adventurers."

Jezebel looked to her with a pitiable look, her well-seasoned eyes peering through the deception that just didn't look right on Lillian's face. Her bubbly personality just felt heavy in trying to keep up her happy façade. Not light or floaty or refreshing, just… heavy.

"Sure… I might not see from you again for the next couple of years… you might not even come back to such a small village… But it's okay… because you're finally reaching your dream…" Tears dripped past her trembling lips, the corners cracking and crumbling away with each drop. "No…" she tried to hide them away behind her flippers, "I'm sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't cry in front of you. I am happy for you… really, I am. I just…" A sob choked out the remaining words that might have come. Or, perhaps, she didn't really have any excuse for crying during the happy occasion, just knowing that her heart wanted to cry and her body would oblige no matter what her mind told it to do.

"C'mon, Lily, there's no need for so many tears." Jezebel tried to reassure her despite her own eyes beginning to water. "Brave faces. We both said we'd put on brave faces." she tried to remind her but her own waterworks were already flowing down her cheeks to join Lillian's on the ground.

"I know, but-"

"It's okay." Crystal said, taking a step forward. She sat in front of Lillian, balancing herself on her hind legs to give her good friend the best hug she could manage in this quadrupeded body. She squeezed a little tighter, "I'm going to miss you too…"

All other words died in Lillian's throat, drowned beneath an ocean of sobs and a tidal wave of crumbled whimpers. She wrapped her arms around the small shape of Crystal's body, holding onto her tightly refusing to let go but knowing she would have to eventually.

"Aw geez…" Emizella sniffled behind her, "Now I gotta get in on this. C'mon, Jesse, you too." she said, turning the two-way embrace into a group hug.

"Seriously?" Jezebel asked, given no other option by anyone to pull away from Emizella's pull. Not even her own body objected as she sank into their little pile. "Fine… if I have to…" she muttered, clinging on even tighter than anyone else.

Crystal could feel the light tugging of Jezebel's claws gripping into her but it felt more warm and comforting than anything else. She nuzzled under Lillian's chin, rubbing her tears into the cool, smooth surface. "We'll be back," she promised, "We'll definitely be back."

"Yeah. As soon as we're both professionals, we'll be back." Emizella continued.

"Really? This place isn't too small for you?" Lillian asked, hiding the voice of her insecurities further into Crystal's fur.

"Not at all. The world may be big and vast and exciting, but this is our home. No grand adventure will ever make me forget that." Emizella declared, speaking her vow with a certainty that engraved the promise into the winds of destiny and fate.

Crystal nodded, "I'll be sure to write so you don't get too worried, alright?"

"Okay…" Lillian whispered, her voice sounding just a bit lighter past her sorrow and gloom. Crystal realized letters couldn't quite replace the feeling of being able to see each other whenever the whim pleased them, but it would be just enough to quell the loneliness such a long and far distance was bound to bring.

The soft scraping of dirt and rocks sounded behind their tightly woven together bodies, talons not really meant for walking long distances brought their pilot closer while her shadow loomed hesitantly over their heads. "I do hate to cut this short, loves, but we really must be taking off soon, less the winds turn against our favor."

Emizella volunteered her voice to answer, "Alright. We'll be there in just a second."

Their pilot nodded, turning and pushing the air from her flapping wings over their bodies. She flew to her perch atop the metal box, making a few twisting motions to test the stability of her equipment.

Their hug slowly broke apart. One after the other, arms were unraveling and grips were loosening to form four separate beings once more. Emizella inhaled deeply, pressing her hands into her eyes and rubbing the remaining moisture into her fur. They ran over her ears and down the back of her head.

"Alright, we better get going." she said softly. She gave a light smirk past her lingering sadness to Jezebel, jabbing at her shoulder as playfully as she would on any normal, average day. "Don't go getting rusty while I'm gone."

Jezebel shoved her back, "You too. Don't let those guys up in the capital turn you soft."

"You really will write, right? You weren't just saying you would to make me feel better, right?" Lillian asked, drying off the last of her tears.

"Of course." Crystal smiled big for her, "I'll use my mouth if I have to, but I'll definitely write as many times as I can."

Lillian's giggle felt light on her heart, like foaming bubbles tickling her love for her and making her feel giddy again. This was Lillian's smile, the one that said everything would be alright and the one that made everything alright.

"Then I'll be looking forward to them."

Respecting their pilot's time and schedule, the two boarded the sky carriage, Emizella jumping up first and Crystal following immediately after. Jezebel was the one who pushed the door shut with a soft slam behind Crystal's tail, the dropping of a bolt sounding just overhead with a secured click.

"Do me a favor and jimmy the doors a bit, would you?" their pilot asked through an intercom speaker resting just at the upper corner of the cabin.

Emizella immediately obliged but it took Crystal a moment before the request went through her mind into her comprehension. Although her voice sounded rough coming from the small black box hanging against the wall, it was her first time seeing such technology in this world. In the back of her mind, within the library of knowledge resting undisturbed and waiting in her brain, she knew that such things existed. She knew that several items of convenience existed in some parts of the world, just not in the little slice she had grown used to over the past few months. Now she was leaving the only area she knew, starting over again from scratch to get used to a new place. A new town. _The_ capital city with all the hustle and bustle that went with it.

"Crystal? You going to do your side?" Emizella asked, point to the door.

Crystal blinked out of her thoughts, moving them back to the background so she may continue to function as a living being. "Oh, yeah. I got it." She pushed and shook the door a couple times, feeling how tightly secured it was with her jerking motions. _That wasn't going anywhere anytime soon._

"Excellent! We're ready for takeoff." their pilot announced, eager and ready to soar. The wind around them began to pick up, the grass blades dancing and swaying along the ground while the fallen, scattered leaves cleared out of the way. The villagers looked on in awe, their eyes glued to the pidgeot's craft as she slowly inched off the solid earth. "We thank you for choosing Corvi-Flights for your aerial transportation needs. Please hang on tight as we begin our ascent."

They rose higher and higher, pulling away from the seas of goodbyes and their accompanying good lucks. Crystal pressed her nose to the window to watch the waving limbs sending them off. She caught Scarlet and Ace's little trio putting together a tower with their bodies, their youngest sister sitting at the top prompted to wave goodbye by her siblings. She could pick out Luna sitting up to wave at them with both of her paws stretching as far as their short lengths could reach and Lilac sitting beside her and one-upping her efforts with the addition of her swaying tail. Even the great Tree of Being looked to be waving to them as they reached even higher into the sky, her branches swaying in the gentle breeze after them. Crystal imagined that even their goddess Xerneas was giving them fair wishes and blessings for their safe travel.

_It's not the same_, Crystal realized as they rose over the trees where she could look out one window and see the training grounds and school and look out another window to see the stores and inn of the shopping district.

_It's not the same at all_, she let the idea sink in deeper as they became high enough to see the whole village in one frame of the carriage.

In the beginning she had no one. Then she had Emizella and Emizella led her to Jezebel and Lillian. One by one, she grew a connection with the village, interwoven herself into their tightly knit community and found a family in their kind, friendly faces. Even now, as they slowly left the village behind with every flap of their pilot's wings, Crystal still couldn't say this move was like the first time. Emizella was standing by her side and behind her was her home with pokemon who cherished her.

_It's not the same… because I'm not alone._


	18. Chapter 18

"Attention passengers," their pilot's voice rang through the intercom, "We'll be beginning our descent into Harmonia City. Expected arrival in five to ten minutes."

Crystal began to stir against Emizella's shoulder, her head nestled deep in the nook of her neck between her head and body. She wondered when they fell asleep and for how long they had been sitting in this metal box. She reached to the drawn, black curtains, pulling it open just a smidge to take a peek at the sky. Her eyes squinted against the bright blue and fluffy white, adjusting themselves to the light of the sun already beginning its climb back down to the opposite horizon.

_Just a couple of hours_, Crystal guessed, letting the curtain fall back before moving away carefully from Emizella's drooped position. She only slid even further against Crystal's body. "Emi, wake up." Crystal nudged her, pushing her towards her side.

Emizella groaned, sliding towards the other side. But that side was too cold for her and she ended up redirecting her limp, groggy body back onto Crystal's again.

Crystal pushed her just a bit harder, "C'mon, Emi, we're here."

"…where?" Emizella murmured under her protesting groans.

"Here. You know, capital city. ALG headquarters. Big, life-changing exam. Here."

Emizella groaned against, a whining pitch coloring the rumble in her throat. "Just five more minutes…" she pleaded before falling back into her soft snores.

Crystal shook her head slowly, a soft, endearing smile dusting her lips. There was no real harm in letting her sleep until they landed, Crystal just hoped she wouldn't end up having to drag Emizella out of their sky carriage once they did. She could continue engrossing herself in her dreams, but Crystal was going to have a peek at the city she knew in name only.

A paw carefully pulled back the curtains, the sliver of afternoon light dripping in and laying over Emizella's eyelids. She rolled her face against Crystal's head. She asked for five more minutes and she was going to get five minutes. Crystal glanced back at the riolu, feeling her settle with her gentle nudging before turning back to look at the city landscape.

From this height, with this light, the capital city looked breathtaking and intimidatingly gorgeous. She could barely catch all of the city with the one window, its domain spreading wide along the shore of the ocean and resting on the rising hills. Its size must have been three- no, five of their home village stuck together and shaped into one. Perhaps even twice as high, too.

Did pokémon really build this city? Did they shape every shop and every home; every cobblestone alleyway and bustling street? Maybe, but Crystal wondered if there was maybe something more. Consuming the large clocktower that stood up on the hill were patches of green that crept and crawled over the white, peaking above its neighbors.

Actually, when they got even closer to the city's landing station, Crystal could see patches on nearly all of the built structures. Snaking ivy and clinging roots and coats of moss scaling high along the walls erased the initial pristine impression and replaced it with an ancient atmosphere. Crystal couldn't say she preferred one or the other but she did feel just a bit curious about which parties played a part in piling on the fresh bricks and paving the first streets. Was it all pokémon hands or did an old, extinct race of creature put up the initial framework and foundations?

The buildings grew larger and the landing platform got closer to the bottom of their carriage. Their pilot was quite gentle with lowering her passengers, the only indication that they landed being a soft thump that rocked them gently before settling under the final flaps of her wings.

"We have now landed in Harmonia City. Please remember to take all personal belongings with you and thank you again for flying with Corvi-Flights."

Okay, now there was no more delaying the inevitable. With their pilot flying off her perch to the rest station with a few of her feathered coworkers, there was no space left to milk out any more seconds of sleep.

Crystal began to shake Emizella harder, "C'mon, Emi, five minutes are up." she told her and felt her groan against her fur. "I can't carry you, Emi. You're too big! Just wake up!" she spoke just a bit louder, just enough to cover the space of the carriage with her voice, but nothing happened. Well, Emizella turned just a bit against Crystal's head, smacking her eye with one of the feelers decorating her head, but that was just about it.

Crystal clenched the eye shut against the meaty appendage. Her paw started to move it out of her face before realizing that she never actually touched the thing before. And with Emizella having so much fun petting her own body, why couldn't she get a bit of petting in herself? It's only fair, right? Especially since she was still refusing to get up so they could unpack the cargo hold.

She felt its weight push back against her paw, soft velvet tickling her pads and trickling between her toes. There was definitely more substance than fur in there, soft, malleable flesh that was way more entertaining to play with than Crystal first expected. If her eye wasn't a target, she could see herself smacking it a few times just to see how it would swing and sway.

Her paw moved up to the base closer to her skull and felt it twitch just a little under her testing touch. She stared at the narrowed end and touched it again. It twitched again, a soft rumble going through Emizella's throat as she rubbed and nuzzled further into Crystal's fur.

_Could this be… _Crystal gave the best pinch she could with tiny toes, earning herself a soft whimper that dusted her whiskers._ It is! Payback, delicious payback!_

Emizella's slowly began to rouse out of sleep, the sensation penetrating too deeply in her dreams to ignore. Before her lids opened to find Crystal playing with things she shouldn't, she retreated her paws back down to the cushioned seat, instantly feeling the appendage slap her eye once again.

"Did we land?" Emizella asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

Fortunately for Crystal, it seemed her little investigation would go unnoticed, attributed to nothing but a forgettable dream. "Yeah, we touched down just a little while ago," she answered, jumping off the seat to stretch out her spine.

Emizella began doing the same, giving a mighty grunted while the tips of her digits brushed along the ceiling. "Awesome…" she yawned, "We better get started with getting our stuff out… Oh," her pitch sank when a troubling thought hit her.

Crystal looked up at her, "What is it?"

"Now that we're actually here…I just realized how troublesome all those gifts are going to be to carry around."

"How troublesome are a few gifts?"

Crystal wished she hadn't asked. As Emizella piled out sack after sack of fruits, elixirs, potions, seeds and whatever else Tim thought would be too expensive bought at city prices, she wished she never asked such a ridiculous question.

"Why is there so much?" Crystal exclaimed, her ears lowering on her head at the sheer volume they were expected to split and backpack down the streets until they reached someplace to put it all down.

"A very excellent question." Emizella sighed, patting her hands clean before standing next to Crystal and eyeing the pile. "I'd say we split it seventy-five/twenty-five."

"I can handle forty." Crystal corrected with a turn of her head.

"You'll get exhausted at forty."

"You'll get exhausted at seventy-five."

"Excuse me, ladies." A refined rapidash broke their bickering, pastel lavender and fine mint green locks radiating in the midday city sun. His white coat seemed to shimmer against the light, reflecting brilliantly into Crystal's eyes. "I couldn't help but noticed you two and your little dilemma here. That's quite the pile to drag around for a couple of fresh tourists just off the sky carriage. Lucky for you, I happen to run a bit of a taxi service. Just five coins and I'll take you wherever you need to go."

"Ha! So much for not spending a single cent." Emizella blurted out, laughing at the futility of so much stuff. Even with their bags fully packed, there was no packing pokémon driven services. "Crystal, help me load this stuff up, okay? I'll even let you do forty," she said with a smirk, nudging her gently with a soft bump.

Crystal took her tease with a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head, letting a soft chuckle blow out through her nose. At least neither of them would be dragging around their cut for longer than they thought.

~uwu~

As the rapidash trotted along down the street with a proud head held high and a sharp, rhythmic clapping sounding with each step of his hooves, Crystal couldn't stop her curiosity from peeking over the wagon's edge to the rolling street below. The wheels jostled over each patch of overgrowth in their way, making for a bumpy ride but their driver pulled past it without much mind. Just as she thought, the green takeover was much more intense down on the ground than what she could pick out from the sky. Trees burst from paved streets like the brickwork was nothing but paper in their way, their roots jutting from the cracks to take back the space that was once theirs.

Tall grasses and trickling vines hugged the sunniest sides of the buildings, merging together into one mutually beneficial entity. Crystal was by no means an architectural expert, but she could imagine that the only reason these buildings were still standing as tall as they did was in part thanks to the vine works and root network holding things together. Perhaps some of the pokémon helped to keep their home alive and stable, but it was all a group effort. Everything working together in harmony.

_Oh, so that's where the name comes from…_

"So, where are you girls from?" their driver asked with a slight turn of his head.

"Ippona Village," Emizella answered back quickly.

Crystal felt it might have been in bad form, but she never did catch the name of their village back when they lived right next door. Should she have asked? She felt like she should have asked a long time ago.

"It has one of Xerneas's trees growing in the center of it." Emizella further elaborated without needing to be prompted.

"Oh, I think I've heard of that place from one of my patrons before. You're both quite the long ways away from home, aren't you? What brings you to the capital? Taking a little vacation? Seeing the sights?"

Emizella's chest fur puffed up, pluming in her achievement and smirking in her pride. "Actually, we're here for the adventurers league internship exam."

"Really?" his head turned back a bit further, "Is it that time of year already? Huh… so that's the both of you? Even her?" he asked pointedly to Crystal with a slight gesture of his horn.

"Hey, don't go underestimating her. She may look like she's all fluff and no bite but she can be tough when she wants."

The rapidash just laughed, "If you say so," he shrugged. It wasn't like he had any stance to argue, he just carted his passengers around to the places they needed to be. Obviously, they must have seen something in the small fennekin if she was here now. "Just make sure you two get really big and famous so I can say I've had celebrities in my wagon."

"That's the plan!" Emizella grinned before turning to Crystal, "Right?"

"Well…" Crystal thought about it for a moment, resting her chin against the wagon's edge while her eyes peered up to the cloudy sky, "We should see where we go from here. I think fame should naturally follow in its own time."

"Oh, I get it," her partner's lips turned mischievous, an arm wrapping around Crystal's neck and pulling her in closer, "So you're saying we're so naturally gifted that it's inevitable we become major hotshots, right? I see what you're saying."

"That's-" Crystal stopped herself before she could play into her hands. She breathed out a short chuckle and relaxed against Emizella's body amidst the soft bumping of their wagon, "Yeah, let's go with that," she conceded with a wistful smile on her lips.

Maybe that was their destiny after all: to grow into something big and extraordinary. That had to be the reason why they met the way that they did. Why she was sent to this seemingly peaceful place without any preamble to her purpose. Maybe it was best to be content with just learning and growing in this time they had together.

~uwu~

Emizella heaved out a sigh as she finally cleared out the wagon, leaving it as clean and empty as when they stepped on board. "That was the last of it," she announced, leaping over the wagon's edge to land beside their piled load. She glanced up at the rapidash, "Thanks for the lift. We can take it from here," she said, reaching into her own personal carry-on back and pulling out his payment and a bit extra for his good service. She paid him his fee plus the tip before watching the rapidash trot off to find a new set of patrons to pull around in his wagon.

"So this is Jasmine's place, right?" Emizella asked, turning her attention up at the painted sign that hung over the door.

Crystal looked between the business card Janice had given her and the establishment's logo, looking between the two p's in Plush that were replaced with the silhouetted head of a furfrou. Long, drooping ears, an untrimmed mane of thick fur in the back and a fine, sleek muzzle in the front. _Definitely a match_, "Yep, this is it. I hope we're not intruding too much popping in like this…"

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, this is Janice and Damien's kid we're talking about. I'm sure she can manage one surprise visit." Emizella waved off the concern, scooping up as much of their belongings in her arms and leaving the rest for Crystal to carry in herself.

She pushed the door for the two of them with her shoulder. Beyond the ringing chime of the hanging door bell was the bellowing voice of an immensely fuming and frustrated furfrou that was one hundred percent done with whatever nonsense she was dealing with over at her counter.

"I don't give a single rattata's tookus how much more you pay me, the deal was for three weeks, not two!" she slammed away at the countertop with her paw, a single teacup sitting on a porcelain saucer being saved by the swift thinking of a houndoom remaining close on standby. "Well, whose fault do you think it is that your buffoon of an agent got the dates wrong? Mine?!" she growled away into a glowing blue orb that flickered with every exchange. "Look," she took a deep breath, raking her paw over her frazzled mane, "You want the Plush Brand quality, right? That's why you came to me, right? Well, I can't give that to you _unless_ I have enough time to work my magic. Now, either get your shit together or find someone else." she muttered low into the glowing sphere, letting it fade away into its dim shade before letting out a long sigh.

She turned a mirror sitting on her counter to face her, taking a good, long look her herself with a despairing shadow in her eyes. "Val, honey, look at me!" she cried, dragging her paws down her face and stretching the bags that hung under her eyes, "I'm an utter _mess_. When was the last time I even went to the spa for a proper trim?" she asked.

The houndoom set the tea saucer down with a gentle clink, "You don't want the answer to that."

The furfrou gave another long, drawn-out sigh mixed with a heavy groan that pulled her forehead to her countertop.

"I told you not to take that job. The same thing happened last time. And the time before that. And the time before that," the houndoom counted off with each tick of her head.

"It's not that poor girl's fault she's represented by a bunch of brainless, incompetent idiots. This dress is like a fairy tale's dream come true for her; how _could_ I say no?"

"Quite easily, actually," she answered, reaching a paw up and pushing it carefully towards her sulking companion.

The furfrou eyed it for a moment before pulling it closer and taking a few savoring sips from the fragrant tea waiting for her inside. She breathed out slowly, "Hopefully they figure something out before they break her heart."

"If they know what's good for them,"

"Um, excuse me?" Emizella's voice struck in the calm of this storm.

The furfrou choked into the steaming liquid, blowing it across her muzzle and stumbling at the mess she was making of her face. "Who-" she barely got out, taking up a cloth sheet to clean herself and cover her less than dignified response. She cleared her throat, "H-how long have you two been standing there?"

"We just got here, actually." Crystal answered first to sprinkle on the little white lie.

"Is that so… I see," she muttered, finishing up patting herself down before setting the cloth aside. "And what might I do for you? Either of you looking for anything in particular?"

"Actually, we're here to see you," Crystal said with her kind, polite smile.

"Me?"

"You're Jasmine, right? Janice and Damien suggested we see you first when we arrived in Harmonia."

"Mama and Papa did? Oh!" Recollection spread in her eyes like how the northern lights take up the night sky. It put the color back into her worn-out expression, exhaustion shifting to excitement in a heartbeat. She bounded over to the pair, tail wagging at a hundred beats per second. "I remember now! You're the two who saved my precious little Lilac and all the other children in Ippona, right?! Yes, yes, I've heard all about it in their letters. Oh, how could I have been so rude? And looking so dreadful, too. This first meeting is turning into an utter _failure_. Oh! And we haven't even gone through the proper introductions, yet. Val, honey! Come meet our guests."

Jasmine had a second to breathe as she waited for the houndoom to make her way over to them, taking her sweet time to make sure the fashionista wouldn't pass out from the lack of oxygen. An arm wrapped around her, closing the last remaining inches between them while another paw pressed firmly against her chest.

"This is my one and only sweetheart, Valerie. Val, these are the two I was telling you about: Emizella and Crystal." Jasmine gestured a paw to the both of them. "Last time I properly saw Emi, she was still just a bitty little thing. And now here you are, in Harmonia City! Always so nice to have a fellow Ipponian finding herself in the capital. Oh, and congratulations to you both as well. I'm guessing you both got some really good news from HQ if you're both here. Absolutely lovely. You're shaping up to be just like your big brother!"

Emizella's arms clenched close to her side, her lips tightening and pinning the smile into her face. "Y-yeah," she answered.

Crystal looked up to Emizella's tensed profile and glanced down to the balled fists she hid behind her back. _Emi…?_

"And Crystal, I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting you. I've been so busy since you made your golden debut in Ippona. But I wish I did, then I could have been prepared for this heart-melting adorableness. Oh, fennekins are such a cuddly bunch, wouldn't you say, Val?" Jasmine asked, her paws starting to play with the tufts of fur growing from her ears.

_Always with the ears…_ Crystal held down the thought, learning to accept her fate. She was wrong. Her destiny wasn't to become a famously strong and dependable adventurer by Emizella's side. It was to constantly have her ears being petted and her fur being stroked by all kinds of hands and paws and flippers for some.

"I dunno, eevees are pretty cuddly too," Valeria answered, saving Crystal's flickering ears from being tickled anymore.

"Well, we're not in the presence of an eevee, now are we? Oh, speaking of cuddly, why don't we all take a trip to the spa? My treat, of course." Jasmine's eyes glittered at the prospect of receiving the pampering she so righteously deserved, her paws clapping together in glee.

"You can go. I'll hang back here," Valerie refused with a turn of her head.

"Aw, why not? We can get your horns filed nice and smooth, just the way you like them." Jasmine reached a paw up to feel at the boney protrusions sticking out of Valerie's skull, giving them a gentle rub to feel how rough they had gotten, "After all, you've had to deal with me this whole time. The least I can do is thank you for not losing it with me."

Valerie kept her gaze away from the gentle smile gracing the furfrou's lips, trying and failing to hide the rosy tint radiating over her face. "Alright… but don't think you have to spend so much for me. Just the filing is fine."

"Of course. And what about you two? You must be exhausted after that long flight. It'll be a good chance to unwind a bit after your trip."

Crystal and Emizella looked between one another, a soft smile being shared from Crystal to Emizella with eyes that asked, "Why not?"

Emizella breathed out a chuckle that relaxed her shoulders and soothed her tension away. "Sure. Gotta try it at least once, right?"

"Exactly! You're already getting into the swing of the capital city. Now then, let's put your belongings in the back first and then we'll be off for some much-deserved r n' r."


End file.
